Parkes Shire Council wants the assessment criteria re-examined and has written to State member for Dubbo Troy Grant for him to make representation on Council’s behalf.

Northparkes Mines has been operating its block cave mine at Goonumbla for more than 20 years. 

During the period 2012/13 the NSW Minerals Council estimated the direct contribution by Northparkes to the Parkes community alone was $90 million.

The Association of Mining Related Councils, of which Council is a member, forwarded information that was tabled at a recent meeting advising that the State Government had committed more than $75 million to regional infrastructure projects in areas where mining takes place.

Parkes was not on the list.

It was part of the second (and biggest) round of the 2013/14 Resources for Regions funding in support of mining communities.

Cr Michael Greenwood is Council’s representative at the association’s quarterly meetings and indicated after the last meeting that council should pursue being added to the list.

A total of 14 projects in the Cobar, Lithgow, Mid-Western, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Newcastle and Singleton Local Government areas received second-round funding for projects including water supply augmentation works at Narrabri ($12.3million) and a waste water treatment plant at Lithgow ($10.1million).

Other regional projects to receive funding included:

* $2 million for developments at Mudgee Airport.

* $6.7 million to Mid Western LGA for a road project.

* $2.5 million to support upgrades to the regional airport runway at Cobar and $2.1million to the town’s sewerage system.

* $5 million for upgrades to water pipelines from Cobar to Nyngan.

Mr Les Finn (Director Technology and Corporate Services) said distribution of funds under the Resources for Regions program was originally determined under the banner of the NSW Government’s 2012 Economic Assessment of Mining Affected Communities.

“The analysis examined the difference between the royalties obtained by the state government and the cost of services and capital funding given to the community by the State Government,” Mr Finn said.

“Local Government areas were placed in tiers depending on the level of subsidisation.

“Tiers 1 and 2 councils receive funding under the program.

“Parkes Shire Council was originally determined to be in Tier 3 and therefore has missed out on funding to this date.”

Mr Finn said Council will now ask that a number of cost factors be also taken into account by the State Government when assessing eligibility.

“The current criteria doesn’t take into account the number of indirect costs which impact on council areas where mining takes place.

“For example, the impact on transport infrastructure arising from additional mining related traffic, particularly heavy vehicles,” Mr Finn said.

The Resources for Regions funding program has been running for four years.

During this time it has delivered approximately $160 million in infrastructure funding to communities deemed as experiencing unique pressures on infrastructure and services as a result of mining activity.