NSW Minerals Council welcomes ‘Resources for Regions’ commitment

The NSW Minerals Council has welcomed Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s announcement today of Round Eight of the Resources for Regions program that provides funding for regional mining communities that contribute so much to our state.

“The $75 million of additional funding for the Resources for Regions program announced today is a significant increase on the previous round and will be welcomed by NSW mining communities,” NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said today.

The previous round delivered $50 million for 84 projects across the state, assisting with local infrastructure, the creation of local jobs and building stronger local economies.

“With 149 projects and $345 million delivered since the program’s inception in 2012, it’s good to see the NSW Government will continue to drive this important investment in mining regions,” Mr Galilee said.

Mining is an essential industry for NSW, particularly in the Hunter, with our survey data showing our member companies injected $6.2 billion in direct spending into the Hunter region last financial year, contributing around 28 per cent of the Gross Regional Product of the Hunter economy in 2019-20.

The sector also provides around 40,000 direct jobs and supports tens of thousands more jobs in around 7000 mining supplier businesses across the state.

“We will continue to work with the NSW Government and mining-related Councils to ensure these funds are provided for projects that improve quality of life for mining communities.” Mr Galilee said.

Callum Fountain