Last month’s rejection of the Wallarah 2 longwall project, after $90 million was spent on exploration and studies over the past 15 years, signifies some of the anti-coal fervour in the state.

Aside from environmentalists, coal project criticism is also coming from concerned residents, farming interests, councils, state government agencies and horse breeders.

But the Minerals Council notes that the economic contribution of coal mining is not going unnoticed.

“We believe that while a majority of people appreciate the benefits mining brings to both local communities and the state, it is important to recognise that there is concern in the community about the impacts of mining,” Tan said.

“It is also important to separate people with genuine community concerns from those opposed to all mining activity on ideological grounds.

“The $17 billion minerals industry in New South Wales makes a significant contribution to the state’s economy, with 82,000 directly employed in mining and minerals processing jobs. The industry also supports more than 300,000 jobs indirectly.”

The state Coalition appealed to the green vote in its electoral stomping of the Labor party almost two weeks ago.

The Coalition policy of making the Dharawal State Conservation Area into a national park might cause difficulties for BHP Billiton subsidiary Illawarra Coal, with its consolidated coal lease 724 stretching over a large part of this land.

Meanwhile, Premier Barry O'Farrell announced the end of Part 3A of the planning laws in the first meeting of the new cabinet, stating it was “time to give planning powers back to local communities”

While the full implications for coal companies are yet to be known, there are signs that the Coalition government aims to make progress with other issues that have dogged the industry.

The new state Treasurer Mike Baird spoke of maximising the value of rail and access to ports at a NSWMC forum held before the election.

“I think there’s much more we need to do in relation to that and I certainly think from a government point of view that’s where a lot of energy should be expended because that absence of productivity is holding back what we already have sitting there,” he said.

“Certainly there’s no community debate about minerals we have sitting there waiting to get out and get exported. Now we need to get on with that.”

The government’s move to scrap Part 3A was welcomed by the NSWMC, but the industry group expects the government to make some difficult decisions with its strategic planning reforms.

“The minerals sector has been leading calls for action on this important issue for a long time,” Tan said.

“We are pleased that the Coalition made this a priority in the lead-up to the election and consulted widely.

“The new government will need to focus their every effort into getting right the implementation of this policy and many others. Successful government demands that difficult decisions are made, transparently, in the interests of the whole of the state.”

The industry group was strongly supportive of the Coalition’s Resources for the Regions program, which will bring $160 million of infrastructure investment into areas like the Hunter Valley.

Tan acknowledged other key concerns facing this region.

“The minerals sector, other industries, the government and the community each have a role to play in addressing the challenges ahead, especially in places like the Hunter Valley where there is a concentration of mining and a variety of industries and where the cumulative impacts of operations must be addressed,” she said.

“For their part, coal miners in the Hunter have initiated the Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue, an open-ended discussion with the community about the role of mining and its impacts, the local economy and the region’s future.

“As an industry, we have to continue working hard on addressing our impacts as well as communicating our many benefits, but equally, we call on our elected political leaders to be advocates for a sector which contributes so much to the state.”