Racing: Breeders call for mining moratorium

Photo / Thinkstock.

SYDNEY - Hunter Valley racehorse breeders have called for a moratorium on all new exploration and mining decisions pending an independent assessment of the impact the mines have on the area.

Frustrated at delays by the State Government to release details of a strategic plan, the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association (HTBA) released a 10-point plan of action this month with the support of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) and other industry leaders.

In May, the NSW Government stopped a proposed open-cut mine planned by the Bickham Coal Project and promised to initiate a strategic plan for coal mining by the end of this year.

"Neither the terms of reference nor an issues paper has been released for the strategic plan," HTBA president Wayne Bedggood said.

"The Hunter Valley community has not yet been consulted.

"It is very serious and people are concerned. We want to put at ease those concerns."

The plan also calls for the appointment of a dedicated Minister for Agriculture, saying recent Primary Industry Ministers have also been responsible for natural resources, including mineral resources.

"Having Government regulate mining is like having the Japanese Butchers' Association regulate whaling," Darley Australia managing director Henry Plumptre said.

The breeders say they are not anti-mining but are looking to create a balance between the two industries.

The thoroughbred industry in the Hunter Valley contributes more than $2.4 billion annually to the state's economy and has the second-largest concentration of stud farms behind Kentucky in the United States.

The mining industry does not support a moratorium on coal mining but says it will continue to work with all industries including thoroughbred breeders.

The NSW Minerals Council said a moratorium on new mining projects or extensions in NSW would threaten more than 30 coal projects in the pipeline over the next decade worth A$9.2 billion ($11.80 billion) in capital investment.

"The mining industry has been an important part of the Hunter Valley for more than 150 years," NSW Minerals Council chief executive Dr Nikki Williams said.

- AAP