CSG mining prohibited near Peninsula

Coal seam gas (CSG) mining has been prohibited within two kilometers of the Peninsula.

NSW Planning and Infrastructure Minister Mr Brad Hazzard said CSG exclusion zones had also come into force across the Lower Hunter and Central Coast regions, including all zoned residential land and rural villages and a two kilometre buffer area around these locations.

These exclusion zones reflected community concerns about the conflict over resource development in residential areas, he said.

"The NSW Government is now seeking feedback on the precise location of the scheduled stage-two expansion of CSG exclusion zones into future residential growth areas in regional NSW," Mr Hazzard said.

He said the Government had appointed a Gateway Panel, which would conduct a scientific assessment to ensure the potential impacts of mining and CSG proposals on strategic agricultural land are identified prior to a development application being lodged.

He said the panel, led by chairman Terry Short, were highly regarded experts in their fields and had decades of technical and industry experience.

"The panel members we have appointed today deliver expertise across a number of disciplines, meaning each project will be subject to rigorous, balanced and scientific scrutiny."

Mr Short said the establishment of the gateway system was a tremendous step forward for rural NSW.

"It is a voice that rural NSW hasn't had to date in the planning process," he said.

Mr Hazzard said the mapping being exhibited was to have been the primary component of the proposed Lower Hunter and Central Coast Strategic Regional Land Use Plan.

Now this mapping has been released, it is instead proposed to prepare a Regional Growth Plan for the Lower Hunter and Central Coast under the State's new planning system - rather than a regional plan.

He said the Regional Growth Plans would comprehensively cover all strategic planning issues for the region - including housing, infrastructure, economic development, agricultural land and resources and environment - rather than having a focus mainly on agriculture and resource industry issues.

In the Gosford municipality, 654 hectares were identified as Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land.

None was on the Peninsula.

"This is the first time in the State's history there has been such extensive mapping and protection for our residential areas and farms," Mr Hazzard said.

"The progress in striking the balance between strategically significant agricultural land and residential properties is the result of extensive community and business consultation and was necessitated by the complete failure of the former State Labor government to address any of these issues despite CSG being extracted for more than 20 years in NSW.

"The changes deliver key elements of the Government's Strategic Regional Land Use Policy while at the same ensuring a viable and strong mining industry can occur in NSW," he said.

NSW Minister for Primary Industries Ms Katrina Hodgkinson said the land had been mapped as BSAL because it had been identified as highly fertile and productive land.

"Once the mapping is finalised, companies wanting to develop major mining or CSG projects within confirmed BSAL in the region will have to go through the independent scientific Gateway process," she said.

Media release, 3 Oct 2013

Julian Luke, Office of Katrina Hodkinson MP