Centennial Coal CEO David Moult will be on the taskforce, which will feature other eminent mining figures and be chaired by RFC Ambrian managing director Rob Adamson, who has more than 20 years in senior investment and advisory roles.
Moult is also chairman of the NSW Minerals Council and will be joined by council CEO Stephen Galilee.
NSW Resources & Energy minister Anthony Roberts said the taskforce would be charged with developing a Minerals Industry Action Plan to deliver economic growth to NSW over the next decade.
“The Minerals Industry Action Plan, the first of its type, demonstrates how serious the NSW government is in boosting the state’s economy and creating employment,” Roberts said.
“It will provide a road map for the growth in the minerals sector while balancing the need to protect our valuable agricultural land and water resources.
“NSW is home to a vibrant minerals industry that provides 33,000 direct jobs and more than 130,000 support jobs. Many of these jobs are in regional NSW supporting miners and their families, businesses and entire communities.
“NSW mineral industries produce gold, silver, copper, coal, industrial minerals and construction materials.”
In 2012-13, the sector produced in excess of $21 billion in minerals and $17 billion in exports, about a third of the state’s total exports.
“The industry provides $1.3 billion each year in mining royalties, helping to fund NSW hospitals, schools and roads,” Roberts said.
“Coal supports the state’s electricity needs, ensuring access by NSW residents and industry to cheap, reliable energy, meeting 80% cent of our electricity supply.”
Galilee said the action plan process was also an important opportunity for the mining industry to seek progress on key policy issues on behalf of mine workers and communities.
“Over the last year we have been working hard to secure a commitment from the NSW government to a Mining Industry Action Plan, he said.
“This commitment from the NSW government is a welcome recognition of the importance of mining for NSW, for jobs, investment, trade, infrastructure, regional development, and energy supply.”
Mining has been in the news in NSW for the wrong reasons with the Independent Commission Against Corruption finding that former resources and energy minister Ian Macdonald should not have granted a licence for the Doyles Creek prospect in the Hunter Valley.
The state government, under former premier Barry O’Farrell, took the unprecedented step of revoking the licence without any compensation or consultation with its recent owner NuCoal Resources, raising questions about sovereign risk in the state.
ICAC has also seen a procession of resources and energy ministers, with the former minister Chris Hartcher being forced to resign his position because of questions about a slush fund that the allegedly set up.
