The Australia Institute made a submission to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s Integrated Mining Policy during its exhibition period.

A problem with the NSW planning system relating to mine assessment in recent years has been economic assessment. There are two areas in need of reform:

• The quality of economic assessment and enforcement of economic assessment guidelines
• The timing of economic assessment and debate in the planning process.

This submission discusses the second point about when in the planning process economic issues are considered and how this can be improved in relation to the draft Standard Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements and the Mine Application Guideline. Issues relating to quality of assessment and guidelines are being discussed through a different process and The Australia Institute will make a separate submission on these issues.