Pro-coal Dept of Planning needs cultural change after Drayton South shocker

JEREMY BUCKINGHAM MLC
THE GREENS NSW

MEDIA RELEASE

18 July 2014

The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham today called on Planning Minister Pru Goward to put a rake through her Department to Planning to achieve cultural change after the department recommended approval for the Anglo American Drayton South mine extension that will ruin the Hunter Valley thoroughbred industry.

“The Department of Planning is severely out-of-step with community expectations and has completely ignored the concerns of the previous Planning Assessment Commission assessment, the Mining Gateway Panel, or the thoroughbred industry,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“Planning Minister Pru Goward needs to bring cultural change to a department that is acting as if it is an extension of the coal industry.  They’ve never seen a coal mine they don’t like.

“To risk the billion dollar thoroughbred industry, with all the associated jobs and businesses, simply to allow  Anglo-American to dig up more coal in a declining coal market, makes no sense whatsoever,” he said.

In November 2011 Pru Goward told a rally in Bowral:

“The last thing this community wants, or any community wants is for a regulation that will fail.  That will let you down, let us down, and let the future down.

Mr Buckingham said: “The Department of Planning and the planning regulations are failing to meet community expectations.  They’re clearly biased in favour of the coal industry.  Minister Goward is now in a position to act on this failing regulations and the Greens call on her to do so.”

Contact: Max Phillips - 9230 2202 or 0419 444 916

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