What will the Mudgee region do after mining?
It should be noted at the outset that this isn't an 'anti-mining piece', it's a question, albeit one that might make some uncomfortable - what will the Mudgee region do after mining?
There's been no doubt that the Mid-Western Regional Council Local Government Area (LGA) has prospered as a result of the presence of the industry in the area.
The NSW Minerals Council's latest annual member company Expenditure Survey, found that the surveyed mining companies spent $283 million in 2017-18, including over $183 million in wages to 1,748 full-time employees in the LGA.
And that's before you unpack the indirect jobs that are created, which is harder to quantify because it's not as straight-forward as just counting contractors and suppliers - retail and other sectors thrive when a major industry thrives.
But nothing lasts forever.
And the Independent Planning Commission's rejection of Kepco's proposed Bylong Coal Project should surely give pause for thought.
Read the full Editorial in the Mudgee Guardian 17th October 2019