The NSW government’s Regional Land Use Policies, currently being drafted for Upper Hunter and north-west New England, aim to “resolve conflict and issues which are occurring between mining and agriculture,” in the words of Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Brad Hazzard.

This is a vital issue for the BVPA, formed to fight coal mining proposals that the group fears will destroy one of Australia’s most fertile and beautiful valleys.

The group is “frustrated, angry and disappointed” to find the Bylong-Wollar-Ulan corridor left out of planning for the Upper Hunter simply because it falls on the Mid-Western Region’s side of the local council boundary.

The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure said the Bylong Valley would be included in the Central West Regional Land Plan, promising that “linkages to the Upper Hunter will be carefully considered and addressed where relevant during the preparation of the Upper Hunter Regional Land Use Plan.”

“The corridor is geographically part of the Upper Hunter, but because it comes under Mid-Western Regional Council it’s being left out,” said BVPA interim secretary Craig Shaw.

“It’s stupid because the rest of the Mid-Western Regional Council area is essentially in the Murray Darling Basin.

“It’s especially ironic because mining and gas development has largely been about overriding local councils - and now, suddenly, it’s all about sticking to council boundaries. It’s ridiculous.

“Ask the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Authority about what it thinks the basis of planning should be.

“Ask the Natural Resources Commissioner about the catchment-based approach to planning he’s advocated.

“Ask the Nature Conservation Council and the Hunter Irrigators what they think.

“I bet they’ll all tell you what we’re telling you. The only people who seem to not want to listen is the State Government and the Minister for Planning in particular.”

The Central West plan, set to include the Bylong Valley, is one of two scheduled for the next stage of plan preparation in 2012.

LIKE the Mudgee Guardian and The Weekly on Facebook

and for news as it happens