Orange 'very lucky' not to having physical mining presence 'close to our beautiful city'

That is how Orange City Council CEO David Waddell opened a near nine minute speech in which he both praised the financial benefits of the mining industry but also said he wanted to add restrictions about where they could be built.

A parliamentary inquiry into the mining industry was held at Orange Ex-Services' Club on Tuesday where half-a-dozen members of the community raised concerns about both the Cadia gold mine and the proposed McPhillamys Gold Project.

Mr Waddell acknowledged the long-debated dust issue had impacted the town of Spring Hill, a point he said the council was "very concerned" by.

"Mining has a very positive impact on our economies, a very positive economic impact in many ways. It also has negative impact," he said.

"Mining has a negative environmental impact in a few ways. Roads are heavily trafficked, we do get money for that but as you drive around there are trucks on our roads and they do get chewed up. Biodiversity gets impacted when roads get upgraded. We do see some of that."

But it wasn't just the issue of roads which Mr Waddell voiced concern.

On September 19, there were just 18 homes advertised for rent on realestate.com around Orange with a price tag of $400 or less per week.

The council CEO pointed to the population increase brought about at least in part by the presence of the Cadia mine as a reason for the housing crisis many currently find themselves in.

"This two-speed economy that we see here," he said.

"Great if you get a mining job, they're well paid jobs, families live their lives here, they can buy houses and they can rent houses.

"But if you miss out and if you're in the bottom 20 per cent of Orange, you're really missing out. You're not getting rentals. You are really suffering and we have quite a demographic that is suffering."

Mr Waddell later acknowledged that it was not only "the fault of the mine."

He pointed to nearly 200 Airbnbs in town - homes that could otherwise be used as rentals - or a lack of willingness by developers to build affordable homes as big issues.

"No developer will graciously make 20 per cent of their sub-division affordable, let alone social. There's another solution gone."

One way the council has sought to help solve this issue was by striking a deal with Landcom at the start of 2023 which would see roughly 50 affordable homes built in the next two to three years.

Mention of this was praised by the Legislative Council.

But what of the mines, both existing and proposed?

Although Mr Weddell said the jobs boom created by Cadia was no doubt a positive, he seemed to indicate he would not like a mine within the Orange LGA any time soon.

He pointed to a proposed development by Fortescue which was rebuffed in 2019 as a recent example of this.

"It beggared belief anyone would ever consider a mine to go in that beautiful area," Mr Waddell said.

"Finally they left, admitting defeat and the defeat came from a real mobilisation of residents. It was a real feeling it should never have happened.

"I wonder to the enquiry whether no-go zones might include high-quality agricultural areas, scenic value areas, might be a way to stop some of this angst."

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