Muswellbrook Shire Council Mayor Jeff Drayton has told the Independent Planning Commission the Hunter Valley Operations extension project should be approved, warning the region faces an economic and social shock without precedent if it and the separate Mount Pleasant Optimisation case do not proceed.
Addressing the Commission, Cr Drayton, a former miner, said Muswellbrook and Singleton experienced the two projects as one regional economy rather than isolated approvals.
“If either project does not proceed, the impact on our communities will be serious. If both do not proceed in the same window of time, this region will face an economic and social shock without precedent,” he said.
Cr Drayton said approving the extension, alongside the department’s recommended conditions, would give the region time to plan its transition rather than face it abruptly.
“Let me be very clear, Muswellbrook Shire Council is not asking this commission to keep this region dependent on coal forever. We are asking for the runway to reposition it,” he said.
He said council supported conditions requiring a post-mining land use strategy, a social impact management plan and a construction workforce accommodation strategy, but had raised concerns with the department and proponent over the scale of direct financial contributions to council compared with similar operations.
Responding to questions from the Commission, Cr Drayton said the region’s transition planning had been underway in some form for around a decade, but was not as advanced as it should be. He said council had done significant work over the past two years, with more still required ahead of planned mine closures in 2030. He said a rezoning process to enable new industrial precincts on former mining land was well advanced, with much of it expected to be finalised by the end of the year.
