Source : Perth Now news
Resources credentials appear key to a state government’s fight for survival, as polls show their toughest political opponent surging in mining heartland.
NSW’s Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos on Tuesday opened an international mining expo with a bid to brand NSW as “the mining state”.
She told AAP the government’s track record is clear and said: “We want to show the world NSW is open for business.”
“(We) delivered reforms to ensure NSW remains competitive in the global landscape.”
The government pointed to updated planning, a royalties deferral scheme, a quarter-century coal plan and exploration investments.
During her speech, Ms Houssos also celebrated 2025’s critical minerals deal brokered between the United States and her federal counterparts.
But Premier Chris Minns’ Labor faces strong opposition in mining heartlands just months out from state election.
Both the Greens and One Nation had drastically improved on the previous state election in polling released Tuesday and commissioned by Advent Energy – a fossil fuel exploration company with interests in the region.
Labor and One Nation – which has no current representation on Macquarie St – were tied on 33 per cent of voting intention.
A resurgent Greens (16) also led the combined coalition (14) in the area, according to Pureprofile’s survey.
Mr Minns on Tuesday said the One Nation’s leaders – based in the Hunter – were “polling extraordinarily well” and a political reality.
“The only thing I’d say is that no one’s voted yet … we’ve got a better plan to invest in people, to protect wages and to stop privatisation,” he told Sydney radio 2GB.
One Nation and the federal coalition both took the sword to NSW Labor over an October High Court decision blocking a mine expansion in Muswellbrook.
Both argued emissions frameworks in the state were restricting industry growth.
Grassroots campaigners took Mach Energy’s Mount Pleasant expansion in the Hunter to the High Court because the state’s planning body did not account for emissions created downstream.
Environmentalists’ celebrations, however, were cut short when Mr Minns announced plans for a “one-off intervention” to save jobs.
He feared the ruling would have forced the scaling back of production at the major open-cut mine and put at least 400 jobs on the line.
Greens MP Sue Higginson at the time said the decision showed coal mining giants were writing the government’s laws.
