[Greens-Media] Hartcher's parochial approach to mining looking like Ian Macdonald's

[Max Phillips]

Hartcher's parochial approach to mining looking like Ian Macdonald's

20 October 2011

Greens mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham has labelled NSW Minister for Resources Chris Hartcher as 'the new Ian MacDonald', after a series of parochial statements about the Wallarah 2 coal project seemingly contradicting the Premier's assertion of merit based decision making on mining applications. 

"Resources Minister Hartcher seems to have picked up where Ian MacDonald left off, deciding on mining projects based on politics and not process - picking winners and losers," said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

"Minister Hartcher seems to have one rule for a coal mine proposed for his backyard, and another rule for mining and coal seam gas in the rest of NSW."

On 12 July 2011, Minister Hartcher told NBN TV: 
"We can't stop people lodging applications, but we can make it clear, there will be no mining. So anyone who wants to do that is simply wasting their money and their time."  http://bit.ly/p7jfLH 

This contradicts the Premier's assertion at a meeting with Korean coal mining company KoRes, that the government was 'committed to merits based planning processes". http://bit.ly/qnQPFp 

"What's going on here?  Is the Premier rolling his Resources Minister on the Wallarah 2 mine?  Or does Minister Hartcher get to play favourites like former Minister Ian MacDonald?

"The Minister can't have it both ways, we need a transparent process for assessing mining proposals that protect our environment, farm land and communities, not decision making based on how close to a Minister's electorate the mine is."

Contact: Max Phillips - 9230 2202  or  0419 444 916