The draft NSW Minerals Industry Action Plan presents recommendations that maximise the interests of the minerals industry. While this is not surprising, the aims of the NSW government should be to maximise the welfare of the community rather than any particular industry. In some areas, the interests of the industry and the government are aligned, for example in minimising administrative costs. However, in many areas the interests of industry and government are opposing, such as in relation to royalties and environmental regulation.

In our view, most of the draft Action Plan does not work to align the interests of the industry and the community, but merely to push the interests of the industry. There are few examples presented of how industry itself could work to improve community engagement and how it could contribute more to the state which provides its minerals for sale and its workforce.

In this submission we discuss the main sections of the draft action plan and make recommendations on how it can be improved.