2LT Local News

Lithgow City Council is miffed that one of its councillors attended a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro to discuss the future of the Springvale Mine. At the meeting on Thursday was the Member for the Bathurst electorate Paul Toole, the Lithgow District Chamber of Commerce president Angela O’Connor and Lithgow councillor Darryl Goodwin It is not known in what capacity Mr. Goodwin was at the meeting, but being a councillor it could have been assumed he was representing the council. Mayor Stephen Lesslie says this was not the case. The council did not sanction his involvement, nor was it aware of it, he said Friday.

Mr. Lesslie noted Mr Goodwin was not involved with Council;’s discussions with Centennial Coal and had not ben briefed on the issues Council wanted to raise with the government.

The mayor said he felt it was a missed opportunity.

The mayor said he had no personal knowledge of Councillor Goodwin’s involvement and said neither he or the deputy mayor were invited to the meeting. He said both men would have supported the chamber if asked.

The Lithgow mayor and his deputy have requested a meeting with the premier.

Among the questions the pair will be asking are:

– Will the Government legislate to protect the Springvale Mine to provide long term certainty for the owner and its work force?

– Does the Government have majority support by members of its Government for such legislation, and if so how long will it take to approve such legislation?

– Does the Government recognise that rolling thirty day approvals under the Government’s emergency powers will only add to the uncertainty for employees in the mining?

– What long term strategy does the government have for the coal and power industry in the state with particular reference to Springvale?

– Will the government give Springvale its irrevocable support for coal fired power generation in Lithgow and the continuation of this in the long term?”

– and Will the NSW Government consider buying back coal fired power stations to give certainty of power supply and reduced power costs now that their strategy of power privatisation has not achieved the objectives promised?

Commenting on assurances that Member for Bathurst Paul Toole is working behind the scenes to ensure the government’s support for the continuation of the Springvale Mine, Mayor Lesslie said Council needs something more concrete and transparent than the promise of a plan that is being worked on behind the scenes.