In a whirlwind tour, Baird flew into Tamworth yesterday to announce a new package of drought funding at the Tamworth Agricultural Institute, only to be confronted by sign-waving protesters complaining about the recent approval of the Shenhua coal mine, before continuing onto Maules Creek.
He told the protesters at Tamworth he would return to meet with them again, but said reportedly said he would not step in to overturn the Shenhua mine’s approval.
His attendance at Maules Creek was at least appreciated by the NSW Minerals Council, which said it “demonstrates strong NSW government support for the more than 20,000 mining workers and their families across the state, and his support for mining communities across regional NSW”
The Maules Creek open cut project started railing coal three months ahead of schedule in mid-December with 40 train loads sent to Newcastle by late January.
The mine will employ about 450 full-time workers when fully operational, mostly from the local Gunnedah/Narrabri region, with at least 10% from the indigenous and aboriginal community within five years.
The Lock the Gate Alliance was less impressed with Baird’s visit where, the group said, he did not meet the local community “whose water supplies and health are at risk” from the mine.
“People are tired of the rhetoric and the mutual back-scratching for mining companies by our political leaders,” LTG national coordinator Phil Laird said.
“In the election on the weekend, Queenslanders rejected the LNP 'mining-at-all-costs' agenda and their lack of respect for impacted communities.
“We're saddened to hear today that the premier has thrown his weight behind a controversial mine at Maules Creek, having never looked into the questionable approval process, and without hearing first from farmers and indigenous traditional owners who have been affected by it.
"It seems the NSW government has stopped listening to communities.”
Laird said it was not a good look that NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee was a former chief of staff to Baird when the MP was NSW Treasurer. Galilee has also worked as an adviser to former Prime Minister John Howard and was chief of staff to current federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane from 2001 to 2004.
Nor did it help, Laird said, that the premier has promised to “crack down” on communities who were opposed to mining.
Baird never actually used those words in the NSW Minerals Council event Laird was referring to, when the premier pledged his government to halve assessment times for "state significant" proposals like mines and manufacturing plants.
Baird said assessment times for mining projects had jumped from 500 to more than 1000 days in the past six years.
The reference to “crack down” was a Sydney Morning Herald headline for its story covering the function in November, where he reportedly said it was "galling" that the mining industry was responsible for the safety of trespassers.
Baird said the government would seek changes to workplace health and safety laws and increase penalties for protesters who break into mining operations, damage equipment or disrupt work.
