There was good news for Australian breeders following the decision of the NSW Planning Assessment Commission to reject the Drayton South mine application. The development of such a project would have had a hugely detrimental affect on farms in the Hunter Valley area, in particular the studs operated by the two global superpowers Coolmore and Godolphin, who both worked together to lobby against the proposal. “All breeders should welcome the PAC's decision as it recognises that the Hunter is one of the most important thoroughbred regions in the world,” said Basil Nolan, President of TBA. “If the mine had been given the go-ahead it would have damaged the reputation of the region and the Australian industry as a whole.”
If the Drayton South project had been approved an open-cut mine would have been developed less than a kilometre from Coolmore and Godolphin. Australia's Thoroughbred Breeders Association is now calling on the state government to place clear protection zones around the key thoroughbred farms to protect the breeding industry and provide certainty to all land businesses for the future. Tom Reilly, chief executive of TBA, said, “This saga has gone on for six years and has been incredibly divisive. For the future of all businesses in the region the state government should step in and create clear boundaries for different land use. Until they do that there remains the possibility that another application could be made for Drayton South, causing further uncertainty to breeders and all land users.
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