Hunter Under Coal Threat Again

The Hunter Valley, Australia’s Thoroughbred breeding capital, is once again under threat from new coal mines, with the mining company Anglo American having submitted its third proposal to cut ground within miles of Darley and Coolmore. 

The plans submitted by Anglo American last year were rejected by the New South Wales government’s planning assessment commission because the affected areas were too close to Darley and Coolmore, but Anglo American reportedly believes its latest proposal, which suggests breaking ground more than two kilometers from the farms, addresses all the previous concerns raised. 

The Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Associations have called on political parties to protect their industries, according to Racing and Sports. 

“Together our two industries inject more than A$4.5 billion to the NSW economy, support nearly 100,000 jobs and attract over 3 million visitors every year to the Hunter region,” said the HTBA’s president Cameron Collins. “These are internationally and nationally recognized industries of state significance and should be protected. The equine and viticulture critical industry clusters are the bedrock of the Hunter’s agricultural and regional economy. Our industries have been mapped and recognized as nationally significant. Yet they have not been protected from mining.”