After visiting Bylong on Monday to assess the village’s entry in the “Bush Spirit” category of the Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns Towns awards, Mr Kelly called for a balanced approach to mining development and urged the State Government to look at all the costs of mining.

He said while mining brought jobs and export income to Australia, governments also needed to consider the social and environmental impact of mining.

The Bylong Valley Protection Alliance is campaigning against multiple possible coal, coal seam gas and minerals projects in the valley.

Mr Kelly said Keep Australia Beautiful was very interested in the ethos of sustainability and the fabric of the community.

“Tidy Towns used to be about white picket fences and clean gardens,” he said.

“Places still need to be clean and litter free but they also need to have a sustainable community. They need clean air and they need clean water.”

Mr Kelly said he was impressed with the Bylong Valley residents’ campaign to protect their region from mining, and also with practical projects including converting the disused tennis courts to a children’s playground and building toilets and showers for travellers.

The toilets and shower blocks, funded by money raised from the Bylong Mouse Races and grants, cater for the increased number of travellers making use of the recently sealed Bylong Valley Way.

“The community has done an awesome job of the last few years and have not relied on handouts,” Mr Kelly said.

“The council listens to them because they don’t come rattle the can all the time and when they do come to council they come with a plan.

“The initiative out there is bloody brilliant.”

However, Mr Kelly warned that the Bylong community’s strong “sense of place” as well as its blossoming tourism industry was at risk from mining.