Plenty of people in Dunedoo feel the same way.

The town of less than 1000 people on the Golden Highway is struggling economically and socially after its loyal supporters and customers sold their properties at Cobbora and surrounding localities, making way for the state-owned Cobbora Coal Project (CCP) that will be offered for sale or lease after it obtains development approval.

The state government’s decision not to spend $1.5 billion of taxpayer dollars to take the project to production is not being disputed openly in Dunedoo.

It inherited the “dud deal of the century” from the previous government and on expert advice terminated contracts supplying cheap and large volumes of coal to power stations.

Mr Coe, speaking as a resident of the Dunedoo district and not a civic leader, accepts in a matter-of-fact way that “the new state government decided they weren’t going to be miners and operate a coal mine”.

More than a dozen residents who spoke to the Daily Liberal this week did not challenge the decision.

But the distribution of money in the Cobbora Transition Fund for infrastructure projects is another issue altogether.

Drawn from Restart NSW, the fund aims to stimulate economies in the local government areas of Warrumbungle, Dubbo, Mid-Western Regional and Wellington while a lessee or new owner is found for the mine.

Resident after resident of Dunedoo has laid claim to no less than 60 per cent of the $16 million that will remain in the fund after each council gets a guaranteed $1 million.

Mr Coe is keen on 60 per cent, amounting to $9.6 million.

“The mine itself sits within our local government area, Warrumbungle Shire,” he said.

“Certainly, there’s been some land acquisition at Mid-Western and Wellington councils, so they shouldn’t be excluded. They should get a percentage of it (the $16 million),” he said.

“As far as I can see, Dubbo isn’t affected at all by it (the CCP), and they will get positive flow-on if it gets up and going.

“If it doesn’t, well they certainly won’t lose anything.

“In fact, I’d say they have already gained some of the people who have been bought out. They’ve moved on and decided to make Dubbo home.” 

Mr Coe said land had been purchased in the Wellington Council area as part of the mine’s extended buffer zone, and in the Mid-Western Regional Council area for use as easement for a railway line.

He is keen for stimulus money to “help industry establish that will create jobs” in the Dunedoo district.

Dunedoo businessmen have told of having to put off staff as their turnovers diminished with every farming family that left the district.

One of the biggest private employers in the town, Derek Dallman, concurs that in Dunedoo “we need employment”.

Mr Dallman thinks three-quarters of the $16 million, or $12 million, should come the town’s way.

“Dunedoo is by far the biggest loser in all of this,” he said.

Battler Gene Dial reckons “all the money should go to Dunedoo”.