Wollongong lord mayor Gordon Bradbery has called for an independent review into the social and financial impact of mining on communities, saying too much pressure is being placed on local government to pick up infrastructure funding shortfalls.
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At a meeting of the Association of Mining Related Councils earlier this month, Cr Bradbery told government ministers an expert panel or independent reviewer needed to be appointed to clear up "jurisdictional inconsistencies" between state and local government, and identify funding shortfalls so ratepayer dollars were not being used to prop up mining-related development. He said the review should focus on the ability of councils to deliver necessary services and infrastructure.
"In Wollongong, one of the biggest concerns associated with mining is increased truck movements on our roads.
"What we don't want is the council having to use ratepayers' money to fund projects and road upgrades that should be paid for from mining royalties."
Cr Bradbery said programs such as Resources for Regions, set up by the state government in 2013 to help mining-affected communities in upgrading old or building new infrastructure, were good in theory, but had been politicised in the past and hijacked to address funding shortfalls in other state government departments.
He pointed to the awarding of $20 million to the Muswellbrook Hospital redevelopment in the most recent round of the program as a prime example.
"That's a health department responsibility and should not have received funding from this pool of money," Cr Bradbery said.
He also hoped any review would address apparent jurisdictional anomalies, saying that currently the state government has control over mining consents, and with local government having very little input.
"We can put in a submission, but that's about it," he said.
"We'd like to see more weight given to the concerns and issues raised by councils."
Cr Bradbery's suggested terms of reference are:
- Identify socio-economic impacts of mining on local communities.
- Identify existing infrastructure funding available to councils.
- Identify existing funding shortfalls and nominate new funding models.
- Research what tools and opportunities councils have to address mine closure, suspension of operations, remediation challenges.
- Review jurisdictional anomalies between state and local government in terms of managing mining.
- Review the future viability and use of the existing local government mechanisms for regulating and taxing mining.
