Mr Duddy, who chairman of the Caroona Coal Action Group, said he had spoken to the people of Bylong before the current push to mine the valley for coal became a public issue.

“I am fully aware of the issues they are facing and I am calling for a moratorium until a sustainable use strategy is developed for the area,” Mr Duddy said.

“I am gravely concerned at the things that are being put at risk in the Bylong Valley and I am calling for community consultation prior to future exploration activities.

“New South Wales needs legislative reform around extraction industries such as coal mines and coal seam gas mining and exploration.

“There need to be significantly more scientific onus on prospectors in relation to material harm to water resources”

Mr Duddy said he was not against coal mining but saw there was a need to protect sustainable local industry.

“I am prepared to speak out about the things that really matter to the people of Bylong, Wollar and Ulan as well as the rest of the seat of Upper Hunter,” he said.

“I want to see these localities remain diverse and if there is to be mining, it does not put aside the existing sustainable use of land for agriculture, thoroughbred breeding and tourism.”

Mr Duddy said he recognises that at the moment there is a lack of balance that is resulting in mining threatening long-term sustainable agricultural industries.

He also wants to see local communities get a fair deal from the riches of their local area.

“Where there are mines it is only fair that the communities that are affected get a fair deal from those riches,” he said.

“If mining is important to the Bylong Valley or any other part of the seat of Upper Hunter it is unacceptable that our hospitals are falling down and our roads are breaking up because of the volume of traffic that the mines bring to the area.

“We need a healthy environment for our people to live in and reasonable services with viable clean water supplies.”

Mr Duddy has called for a health study and will push for the appointment of more Environment Protection Agency officers to ensure that all impacts on water quality, quantity and availability are accounted for in regional planning.