New mining guidelines given thumbs-down

The state government was hoping a spirit of compromise might prevail when it launched its new plan for mining and gas drilling yesterday, but it fell flat in much of the state’s rural heartland. ”I am embarrassed to be a New South Welshman,” Andrew Margan, the head of the Hunter Wine Industry Association, said. ”What we were seeking was certainty and protection of the vineyard areas. Co-existence [with mining and coal seam gas] is not possible.” Farmers, winemakers, horse breeders and the state’s peak conservation group rejected the new guidelines outright yesterday, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.