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NSW Mining Road and Rail Tour in modern mining town of Mudgee
NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee is in Mudgee today to meet with the Council and discuss mining issues as part of the
2013 NSW Mining Road and Rail Tour
.
The ten day journey by road and rail started in Broken Hill in Far Western NSW last week and will continue by train tomorrow up over the Blue Mountains and onto its final stop at Blacktown in western Sydney, home to many mining manufacturing and supplier businesses.
“We’ve been travelling right across western and central NSW including to Mudgee, a modern mining town in a region that enjoys a rich mining history,” Mr Galilee said.
“The wonderful historic town of Gulgong for example owes its existence to the discovery of gold there in 1870. The town quickly became a magnet for those seeking to try their luck on the diggings, with 20,000 people living there by 1872. A visit to Gulgong and its terrific Pioneer’s Museum has been a highlight of the Roadshow so far.
“Fast forward to today and mining still contributes greatly to Mudgee and the surrounding region, providing jobs and prosperity alongside other industries like tourism and agriculture.”
The NSW Minerals Council’s detailed economic survey of its members found that mining companies surveyed directly spent $172 million in the Mid-Western Regional Council area in 2011/12.
The research showed that mining companies directly provided $111 million in wages to 996 full time employees over this period and spent $61 million on goods and services. The estimated flow-on effect of this economic stimulus in terms of additional spending was $191 million.
“This direct investment by our member companies complements our efforts to support the Mudgee miners of the future through programs like our successful
NSW Mining Scholarships
,” Mr Galilee continued.
“Participants receive $500 in Year 11, $1,000 in Year 12 and a further $2,000 in sponsorship if they successfully complete their first year of a minerals related tertiary course. Students are matched with a “mentor” from a local company, providing valuable contact with the industry.
“This year 25 students across Western NSW are being supported by NSW Minerals Council member companies, through $21,000 in funding, with a third going to young women. This year we will support a record 82 students around the State in the growing program.
“Modern mining offers diverse roles from science, geology and engineering, to a variety of trades and apprenticeships available to hard working and enthusiastic young people, and women in particular are encouraged to give the industry a go.
The NSW Minerals Council also today brought its Voice for Mining initiative to Mudgee to help give a greater grassroots voice to those in the community who support local mining.
“The new website,
, is a platform for those in Mudgee and throughout NSW who want to have their voice heard. They can visit the website and indicate what they might be prepared to do to support the industry,” Mr Galilee said.
“It might be writing a letter to a local newspaper, sending an email to local council or their local Member of Parliament, or simply be following us on
and getting involved in the online conversation using the hashtag
#NSWMining
.”
Contact: Lindsay Hermes I
I 0409 758 734