NSW premier urged to act on regional infrastructure, coal, and CSG mining

Anti-mining groups, meanwhile, asked the state’s first female Liberal leader to protect farmland and rural communities from coal and coal seam gas.

NSW Farmers’ President Derek Schoen congratulated Ms Berejiklian and new deputy Liberal leader Dominic Perrottet on Monday but warned the pair not to forget their regional constituents. 

“As Treasurer, Ms Berejiklian oversaw the six billion dollar funding allocation for regional infrastructure. Now that she’s Premier, we hope she’ll continue championing for better infrastructure in the bush,” Mr Schoen said. 

Government has promised 30 per cent of proceeds from poles and wires sales would be funneled into regional and rural NSW. 

Mr Schoen said state government had performed strongly for the economy – particularly in Sydney – and now needed to send more cash west. 

“We need the Premier to be a leader for all of NSW and that means becoming more familiar with rural and regional communities,” Mr Schoen said.

“With the State’s books looking healthy and Sydney’s infrastructure projects booming, now’s the time for some of that prosperity to make it past the sandstone curtain.”

NSW Nationals leader and Deputy Premier John Barilaro had flagged regional infrastructure progress as a key negotiation within Coalition in the coming weeks. 

Mr Schoen said the association also looked forward to discussing telecommunications, biosecurity, and water management with Ms Berejiklian. 

LOCK the Gate Alliance called on the new Premier to curb mining in the bush, and asked Nationals MPs to use the leadership change “to win back the bush”.

“Rural communities have been left to fight against big coal and gas without the support of the O’Farrell or Baird governments, including the Nationals who are supposed to represent these communities,” Alliance NSW coordinator Georgina Woods said.

“With an election coming in two years’ time, Gladys Berejiklian can send an early message to the people of Upper Hunter, Goulburn, the Northern Rivers and North West that good farmland and precious water resources are not going to be taken for granted and sacrificed for coal and gas. 

“First on the agenda must be laws to prohibit mining in our best farmland, in our drinking water catchments and next to towns and homes.”

NSW Nature Conservation Council chief executive Kate Smolski also asked for government to commit to no new coal mines, mine expansions, or gas fields in NSW.

But Ms Smolski also asked Ms Berejiklian to risk the wrath of primary producers and repeal the landmark native vegetation reforms passed late last year. 

“Premiers Baird and O’Farrell were asleep at the wheel on environmental policy, allowing those with a financial interest in weakening environmental protections to shape nature laws in this state,” Ms Smolski said.