The decision by the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) to reject the Drayton South Coal Project has created mixed feelings in the Upper Hunter.
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One group of stakeholders including horse stud owners and agriculturally based organisations have welcomed the decision, while employees and families are quite distressed by it.
The Anglo American project was deemed not in the "public interest" and would potentially negatively affect the strategic agricultural industries and critical industry clusters in the region.
Five main reasons were provided in the final project refusal including:
1. The project does not provide sufficient buffer to protect Coolmore and Darley from the impacts of mining as recommended in the PAC Review Report and the Gateway Panel Report.
2. The project has not demonstrated that it will not adversely impact on equine health and the operations of the Coolmore and Darley horse studs.
3. The approach of monitoring the response of thoroughbred horses to the mine’s operation to address uncertainty is not acceptable because once the damage to the operations of the studs occurs, it is irreversible.
4. The economic benefits of the project do not outweigh the risk of losing Coolmore and Darley and the potential demise of the equine industry in the area with flow on impacts on the viticultural tourism industries.
5. The project is not in the public interest.
The NSW Planning Assessment Commission Determination Report states that the commission has carefully considered the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Report and associated documents, the PAC Review Report, the Gateway Panel Report and oral and written comments provided to the commission before, at and after the public meeting.
“The commission considers the economic benefits of the proposed mine must be weighed against not only the potential economic loss of the equine industry, if Coolmore and Darley decide to leave the region and the flow on impacts on the viticulture and tourism industries, but also the negative impact on the international reputation of NSW and Australia.
“Given the uncertainty that the operation of the proposed mine, if approved, would not negatively impact on the operations of Coolmore and Darley, the commission finds a precautionary approach should be adopted and determines that the application should not be approved as proposed.”
