Miners converge on Mudgee
Posted
The Mudgee district’s mining boom has prompted an inaugural meeting of some of the region’s largest mines and exploration companies.
The two-day forum is being held to discuss current and future projects, what infrastructure is needed and the impact of fly-in, fly-out workers on towns.
Eight local lobby groups are also holding what they have called a ‘people’s conference’ to coincide with the event.
Craig Shaw from the Bylong Valley Protection Alliance is the spokesman, he says the district’s mining expansion is worrying.
“This will be the first time on a region wide basis that all of these groups have gotten together but it’s also a kind of warning sign that things in the Mudgee region, from a mining perspective, have gotten so hot in inverted commas that things like a private conference are now worthwhile.”
He says the campaigners’ forum will highlight the potential impact on water, loss of prime farming land and threat to tourist attractions.
Mr Shaw says there are a number of different campaigns running simultaneously.
“Each group pretty much have a very specific issue that it needs to address and then the challenge for us is being able to coordinate them and do things together when we need to and the stuff we’ve got planned for the next two days is a great example of that.”
Topics:business-economics-and-finance, industry, mineral-sands, mining-industry, mining-environmental-issues, government-and-politics, mining-rural, mudgee-2850