The Upper Hunter's equine and viticultural industries call for the establishment of protective buffer zones between themselves and coal mining has received support from the NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley.
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Speaking in Dubbo today at the Country Labor Conference Mr Foley has called for the establishment of minimum distances between mining and wine and thoroughbred operations.
“Our thoroughbred industry is world’s best practice. It produces champion race horses as good as any in the world,” he said.
“The mighty mare Winx, recently rated the world’s best turf racehorse in the international rankings, was bred, born and raised in the Hunter Valley.
“But the leading thoroughbred industry players may be forced into relocating to another state, because of Baird Government inaction.
“We have to protect the equine and viticultural industries of the Hunter by imposing a minimum distance between those critical industry clusters and mining.
“Mr Baird’s government won’t act. We will.”
At last month’s Planning and Assessment Commission (PAC) hearing in Muswellbrook to determine the future of Anglo American’s Drayton South open cut coal project speakers from the thoroughbred and viticultural industries time and again impressed on the PAC members the need for exclusion or buffer zones between their operations and coal mining.
Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association and the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association have previously called for the establishment of a 10km buffer zone.
Mr Foley who visited the Hunter in August for the annual stallions parade at Coolmore stud, Jerrys Plains said at the time the studs can thrive if the mines are 7-8kms away but not when they are 800m away from their boundaries.
Mr Foley’s commitment at today’s Country Labor conference in Dubbo, to put a SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policy) on the Drayton South site if the fourth PAC rejects the mine and work with the equine industry to place buffers between our industry and mining, is welcomed by the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association President, Dr Cameron Collins.
“We have been calling for protection and buffers for the past six years. What we want is bi-partisan support for real action now to protect and save the Hunter’s Equine Critical Industry Cluster before its too late.” Dr Collins said
“We need to know if the NSW Government wants to keep this industry in the Hunter Valley. If not tell us now. If it does, then put a SEPP on Drayton South and put a ring round the Equine Industry Critical Cluster (CIC ) and end the land use conflict“
Lock the Gate Alliance have also welcomed calls by Mr Foley for minimum distances to be established between the Hunter Valley’s critical wine and thoroughbred lands and encroaching coal mines.
Lock the Gate Alliance NSW Coordinator Georgina Woods said, “The Hunter Valley needs sensible planning restrictions to restore balance and give certainty to sustainable rural industries like equine and wine-tourism.
“It makes perfect sense to protect these lands from coal mining and create minimum distances between them and open-cut coal mines, which are taking up more of the good farmland on the Hunter Valley floor than ever before and pushing other industries to the brink of leaving the region.
“We look forward to seeing more detail of the Opposition’s policy in these matters, and hope that all political parties will see the wisdom in protecting good productive farmland, water catchments and rural villages from the damaging impacts of too-close coal mines.”