Miners blast both sides for courting green vote

MINING industry leaders in NSW have slammed both sides of politics for risking the state's economic future by courting the green vote.

Miners blast

MINING industry leaders in NSW have slammed both sides of politics for risking the state's economic future by courting the green vote in the lead-up to the state election.

Labor yesterday released its coal and coal-seam gas policy roadmap to a generally frosty reception, while the Coalition drew further criticism for failing to release sufficient detail on its proposed changes to planning laws.

NSW Minerals Council chief executive Nikki Williams said both parties were playing a dangerous game.

"We should all be concerned about an election-driven auction over the future of the industry, where politicians are raising the stakes ever higher for an election victory, without careful consideration of what that says about doing business in NSW," Dr Williams said yesterday.

Labor's plan, which NSW Premier Kristina Keneally said would balance the interests of mining with those of agriculture and tourism, would ban exploration activities in waterways adjoining national parks, and even go so far as to revoke some exploration licences already granted.

Dr Williams said the mining industry was not afraid of scrutiny, but the proposal to tear up exploration leases was very worrying.

Ms Keneally said her re-elected government would also ban the use of BTEX chemicals in coal-seam gas operations, and declare certain areas of land as no-go zones for miners.

Labor's plan would also see the appointment of a coal and gas ombudsman, and a full audit of all gas wells and drill sites across NSW in order to allay community concerns, even though no problems with these wells have so far been found.

The Coalition derided Labor's plan, describing it as a "five minutes to midnight grab for votes".

Opposition primary industries spokesman Duncan Gay said the Coalition would not revoke any exploration licences unless they breached existing rules.

However, as The Australian reported on Monday, the opposition itself has drawn criticism from industry leaders for refusing to outline its proposed changes to critical infrastructure planning laws that govern mining approvals before the election.

The Coalition's land-use policy, announced last month, signalled new restrictions on exploration licences, including an explicit agricultural impact assessment and regulations governing interference with aquifers. The Coalition would also ban the use of BTEX chemicals.

Industry insiders said the pledge to abolish the use of BTEX chemicals in fracturing rock to extract gas from coal seams was a non-issue for the sector, as most believed the chemicals were not used in NSW, something Ms Keneally confirmed.

The process of "fracking" involves injecting chemicals into the ground to help extract gas from coal seams and in some cases BTEX chemicals -- benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes -- are used.

Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union vice-president Wayne McAndrew said he was disappointed by the release of Labor's draft plan, which had caught him by surprise.

NSW Farmers Association president Charles Armstrong said Labor's plan did not go far enough.

The new Labor policy did not even please the Greens, who said it would be little comfort to the people who had already lost their farmland to mining companies.

Upper house Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said: "The government has been sending very strong signals to industry for 16 years now that NSW is open to coal-seam gas mining," she said. "Now 10 days out from an election that looks like they can't win, it seems a bit of politicking to me."

Additional reporting: Sarah-Jane Tasker