Anglo American has mounted a high-profile campaign with hard-to-miss signage and stalls in Singleton and Muswellbrook shopping centres to garner support, along with its www.voiceformining.com.au campaign – and the major theme is providing jobs for a population that has relied far more heavily on coal than on thoroughbreds.

Speaking at the PAC hearing, Anglo  American Australia chairman Graham Bradley said the careful redesign of Drayton South took all legitimate public concerns into account.

He asked the PAC to consider the strengths of the South Drayton proposal and “commitment to co-existence … against threats from Coolmore and Darley that their current, wealthy Dubai and Ireland-based owners will decide for any reason to sell up”.

The company says the project is worth $930 million in annual and     indirect output and business turnover and pays $950 million royalties.

Darley Australia chief Henry Plumptre said the approval of an open cut mining operation less than one kilometre from the studs “is sending our industry a signal that we are expendable — they use the word co-existence without having any real understanding of that that means in the context of the Upper Hunter”. 

Highly respected horseman, general manager of prized property Segenhoe Stud, Peter O’Brien, made a plaintive appeal at the PAC hearing.

“Our industry is entirely centred around stallion farms and it is quite simple – no stallions, no Segenhoe, or for that matter no satellite farms whatsoever,” he said, adding Segenhoe had around 200 mares at the farm, with 80 per cent being bred to Darley and Coolmore sires, and Segenhoe was one broodmare farm among 150.

“Boarding farms like ourselves have to orbit around stallion farms to survive — If they move we move,” he told the hearing.

“Long term viability for the Hunter Valley is sustained only by industries like ours, tourism, viticulture and agriculture. 

“If you decide to take the short term gain then I would ask you to return to the Hunter in 20 years’ time, but only plan a day trip, as there won’t be much to see besides derelict towns and              sterilised land.”

He said other states were actively marketing their horse industry clusters as mine free and dust free. 

“How can anyone honestly say that having kilometres of overburden within sight of a commercial stud farm will not encourage clients to look elsewhere? “

The idea that mines created local economic impetus was wrong, he said.

“Take Muswellbrook for example, and note that virtually the entire main street is devoid of any operating businesses. 

“This has happened in the midst of the so-called mining boom for local towns, and exemplifies the fact that most mine workers live a long distance away from their workplace. 

“All you need to do is sit in the gridlock at Singleton at shift change to realise where the vast majority of mine workers live – Rutherford, Maitland, Newcastle and beyond. 

“The horse industry is here for the long haul (and) if you approve this mine know that it is the first nail in the coffin of the thoroughbred industry in the valley, and the final nail for                                   communities like Jerrys Plains.”

The 1200 hectare family-owned Yarraman Park Stud outside Scone is yet to have the shadow of a coal mine cast over it, but that doesn’t mean co-director Arthur Mitchell isn’t mightily concerned.

International giants Coolmore and Darley have intimated they’ll move interstate unless the Drayton South mine proposal is quashed, and Mr Mitchell said the loss of the two major stallion stations would be a blow to remaining thoroughbred operations – particularly broodmare farms who “walk-on” mares to be covered by sires.

“If they did relocate it would have a huge impact on the Hunter Valley breeding,” Mr Mitchell said.

“It’s not just Drayton either, there are other encroaching mines we are keeping a close eye on.”

Damaging effects are being felt in a market downturn for both thoroughbred and  agricultural properties.

“It’s having an impact on prices – people are wary of buying farms, in general people don’t want to take the risk with uncertainty over coal mines.”

Acknowledging that Drayton created local economic stimulus, jobs and community support via grants and sponsorship, Mr Mitchell said he felt for those losing jobs.

“But my response is that these farms have been here for a long time and they will be here for a long time in the future, unless we just trash the valley, and at the end of the day coal is a dying energy resource, it has had its day.”

Yarraman, purchased by the Mitchell family in 1968, has more than held its own against the big multi-nationals with consistently high sale results (including a $3 million colt and $2.6 million filly sold at Easter in 2006) and three in-demand stallions: I Am Invincible, Hinchinbrook and Magic Albert.