Glencore received the most recognition at the award dinner held at Parliament House on Thursday night with its chief operating officer, Ian Cribb, winning the category for outstanding contribution to mining while its Bulga underground operation won the award for mining operation of the year.

Cribb, who started with the company in 1999 and who helps oversee 21 mines across NSW and Queensland, said the award was “unexpected”.

He also made the point that Glencore’s leading position in the Australian coal industry was the result of hard work and commitment from the entire workforce.

Bulga Underground, which hosts the Blakefield South longwall mine that replaced the former production-leading Beltana longwall mine, was recognised for various milestones.

Glencore said a recent production milestone saw Bulga Underground hit an output record of more than 4 million tonnes with at least 1Mt produced for each month of July, August, September and October.

“It was a first in the mine’s history,” Glencore said.

Bulga operations manager Mark Munro credited the production-leading mine’s performance to dedication, technical innovation, systematic approach and hard work.

“This award is recognition of a very capable workforce responding to current industry challenges by driving productivity gains, sustainable operation and improving safety,” he said.

“Our latest production milestones build on our performance in the 2013-14 fiscal year, in which our run of mine production of 8,055,840 tonnes was the highest of all Australian underground coal mines.”

Bulga Underground was also recognised for its successful co-existence with the Broke-Fordwich wine region and developing multi-seam longwall mining solutions and the development of a 9 Megawatt methane-fuelled onsite power station

Glencore said judges also acknowledged its purpose-built, high powered, inseam drilling rig that uses a “novel technology package of proven surface to in-seam drainage techniques” plus deepsea oil and gas industry downhole technology.

Meanwhile, Centennial Coal’s Springvale Colliery production manager, Richard Gleeson, won the young achiever award, Quarry Mining won the outstanding supplier award, and Newcastle-based solutions provider Novecom won the small business achievement award.

Baird’s promises

Talking at the dinner ahead of the last day of Parliament for the year and the next state election on March 28, Baird drew a “line in the sand” in terms of the “unacceptable” delays in the NSW planning regime.

He said large mining proposals had gone from typical durations of 500 days to determine to more than 1000 days over the last six years.

“Tonight I commit the government to halving the assessment times for major projects during the next term of government,” he said at the dinner event.

“We will be cutting it in half from where we are today. It is a commitment we will begin implementing immediately and pursue with vigour if re-elected.”

Planning Minister Pru Goward’s planning system reforms, announced the next day, were seen as a step in the right direction by the NSW Minerals Council but the peak body said more changes were needed.

“We hope all sides of politics will embrace the changes needed to deliver the Premier’s commitment to halve assessment timeframes,” NSWMC CEO Stephen Galilee said on Friday.

“Doing so will be good for the NSW economy, will protect jobs, and provide some comfort for families and communities across NSW that depend on mining projects for their economic future.”

Baird also promised to take more action against activists in his dinner speech.

“For too long protestors have entered sites illegally, damaged equipment and disrupted activities and escaped serious penalties,” Baird said.

“What’s even more galling for the industry is that the current legislation puts the responsibility for the safety of these protesters, who enter mining sites illegally, on the mining companies and operators. I say now, that is not acceptable.

“The industry should not be responsible for the actions of protesters who unlawfully enter mining sites and deliberately set out to inflict damage and delay mining operations. We need legislation that provides a real deterrent to this unlawful behaviour and protects businesses from illegal protesting activities.

“If we win government in 2015 we will crack down on this illegal practice with legislation in this parliament. If you chose to break the law when you protest, we will throw the book at you.

It cannot continue and it won’t continue if we win the next election.”