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Planning amendments threaten economy and jobs
Amendments to the Planning Bill to be introduced by Labor, the Greens and the Shooters and Fishers in NSW Parliament today are a threat to jobs and the economy, particularly for mining across NSW.
“These amendments strike at the very heart of planning certainty in NSW. They would put the future of existing mining operations at risk, deter new projects, and seriously damage the viability of NSW as an investment destination,” NSW Minerals Council CEO, Stephen Galilee said today.
“The jobs of over 155,000 people in NSW are supported directly or indirectly by mining activity in this state, and over 10,500 businesses across NSW are part of the mining supply chain, according to our recent survey of mining industry spending in NSW.”
“NSW already has some of the toughest environmental standards in the world, and rightly so. However these amendments go way too far and would apply across the economy, putting major projects in other sectors at risk as well, particularly infrastructure projects.”
“Such little regard for jobs in mining communities is expected from the Greens, but NSW mining workers and their families have every right to also feel betrayed by the Labor Party that claims to represent working people but has instead chosen the extreme Green agenda over jobs,” Mr Galilee said.
“It is also extremely disappointing that the Shooters and Fishers have moved their own anti-mining amendment to repeal the Mining SEPP, creating yet another period of uncertainty for mining communities and putting thousands of mining jobs at risk.”
“Choosing the Green anti-mining agenda over jobs is also out of step with community opinion.”
Crosby Textor research conducted in May this year found 70 per cent support for mining in NSW.
A more recent Reachtel survey of over 1600 people in NSW asked what priority should be given to jobs when major projects like mines are considered for approval, given the potential impacts on the environment and local communities.
The poll found that across NSW, nearly 70 per cent of respondents said that jobs should be the ‘highest priority’ or a ‘high priority’.
The results were even stronger in regional NSW, including in mining regions, with nearly 80 per cent of respondents stating jobs should be highest or a high priority.
Only around 11 per cent of respondents said jobs should be a ‘low’ or ‘very low’ priority.
“These results send a clear message to all MPs to support jobs for working people, not an extreme green agenda,” Stephen Galilee said.
Contact
: Brad Emery
or 0450 620 254