On the eve of the state election the Hunter’s thoroughbred breeders and winemakers have joined forces to call for a 10 kilometre buffer zone to be established to protect their industries from coal mining and coal seam gas (CSG) development.
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The two industries say they cannot co-exist with open cut mining and CSG on their doorstep.
Whereas 30 years ago most mining was conducted underground and was 30kms away from prime agricultural lands the proposed Anglo American Drayton Continuation Project is only 1km from horse studs and wineries .
The proposed Spur Hill open cut near Denman will come within 1km of five horse studs and 1-2km of three wineries.
Winemakers and tourist operators in Broke have been fighting for a number of years to have AGL expelled from their area due to their CSG activities.
In a demand to both major parties the two industries want a 10 km buffer zone be established around the already mapped and agreed equine and viticulture critical industry clusters.
And they want the incoming government to establish the buffer zones in the first 100 days of their tenure.
They argue such a buffer zone will help resolve land use conflicts in the Hunter and allow all industries to grow and prosper.
The two industry groups have prepared a 32 page booklet or manifesto ‘Time to Protect the Hunter Valley’ to support their claims that approving new or extensions to open cut mining in close proximity to the critical industry clusters well result in their destruction.
Citing the examples of how the South Australian and West Australian governments moved in 2012 to protect the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Margaret River viticulture regions from adverse developments the two groups want similar action in the Hunter to protect a historic, vibrant and sustainable viticulture industry.
In the equine industry the two other internationally recognised regions for thoroughbred breeding Newmarket (UK) and Kentucky (USA) are both afforded considerable protection..
“Together our two industries inject more than $4.5 billion to the NSW economy, support nearly 100,000 jobs and attract over 3 million visitors every year to the Hunter region. These are internationally and nationally recognised industries of state significance and should be protected” Dr Cameron Collins, President of the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association said.
“The equine and viticulture critical industry clusters are the bedrock of the Hunter’s agricultural and regional economy.
“Our industries have been mapped and recognised as nationally significant.
“Yet they have not been protected from mining. It is time both the NSW Coalition and ALP took a bipartisan approach to deliver on their 2011 election promises to protect them.”
Mr Stewart Ewen OAM, spokesman for the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association said the NSW Government has the legislative tools (through its State Environmental Planning Policies) to act now to safeguard our industries and hundreds of thousands sustainable long term jobs.
“We also call for a bipartisan approach to pass legislation within 100 days of the election to permanently protect our sustainable industries from new mining developments for the benefit of the NSW economy and future generations, “ he said.
National and International best practice models exist that value and protect the socio -economic, cultural, heritage and tourism values of our thoroughbred breeding and winemaking industries.
“We call on the NSW Government to follow national and international best practice to protect NSW’s state significant equine and viticulture industries before it is too late” Mr Ewen said
“Co-existence is a term used to avoid dealing with decades of bad planning. We need leadership and vision from our political leaders to protect our sustainable industries. Without appropriate buffers of at least 10km we cannot co-exist. Land use conflicts will continue and sustainable world class agricultural industries will not survive.” Dr Collins said
A 10 km buffer around the equine and viticulture critical industry clusters will help resolve these land use conflicts in the Hunter and allow all industries to grow and prosper.