The inspectors will be employed by the NSW Planning Department to monitor mines’ compliance with their consent conditions.

Announced last week as a result of a review about the effects of mining in Camberwell, the inspectors will start work by the end of next month.

Muswellbrook Shire mayor Martin Rush said the council had offered to accommodate the inspectors at its Maitland Road administration centre.

Cr Rush said he welcomed the State Government’s announcement, which he described as “part of a raft of new measures by the State Government in relation to mining”.

“These announcements represent the beginning of a watershed moment for the Upper Hunter on issues related to mining.”

Cr Rush said inspectors would speed up compliance response, provide educative support and reduce the council’s administrative burden in dealing with compliance-related issues.

Upper Hunter MP George Souris also welcomed the appointment of the new inspectors.

“It will be important to establish the inspectorate office as soon as possible in the Upper Hunter, in either of the shires of Singleton or Muswellbrook, as these two shires together account for the vast bulk of the extracted tonnage of coal,” Mr Souris said.

He said the inspectors should be proactive and conduct random visits or visits resulting from their own observations, rather than only responding to complaints.

“My comments should not be taken adversely by the mining industry in general, for it is that industry from which we have derived a high standard of living in the (Hunter) Valley,” Mr Souris said.

“However, mining alongside resident people carries with it a very great responsibility to ensure the impacts of mining are not unfairly borne by individual local residents.”