A new report suggesting 32 major mining projects in the planning pipeline could help dig the NSW economy out of its COVID-19 hole has support from an organisation passionate about the future of the Orana region.
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The NSW Minerals Council's report aligns with Regional Development Australia (RDA) Orana's vision for the region of more jobs and a "thriving" economy.
The report, entitled Mining for the Recovery--Seizing Opportunities for Jobs and Investment in NSW, has landed on RDA Orana director for regional development Megan Dixon's desk in Dubbo.
She reports that three of the 32 projects are in the Orana region.
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They are the Dubbo Project at Toongi, Bowdens Silver near Lue and the New Cobar Complex Underground Project.
According to the report the first two projects would result in capital investments of $1.3 billion and $150 million, respectively, while the three projects would generate 650, 350 and 50 new jobs.
The 32 projects are all in the planning pipeline, from the initial environmental impact statement stage through to approved projects needing conditional agency approvals to begin mining.
Twenty-one of the projects are focused on coal and 11 on metals, representing the "nearly doubling of proposed metals projects" in recent years.
Mrs Dixon, who refers to mining as a "key economic driver", said the growth in metals projects was "a good sign for the Orana region where mining of gold, copper, scandium, cobalt and rare earths is predominant".
"The NSW Minerals Council report also aligns with the goals of RDA Orana's Export Hub which primarily focuses on supporting the mining, equipment technologies and service industries," she said.
"RDA Orana's Export Hub aims to support the development of businesses across the region into exports, which will in turn improve sustainability, connect businesses, increase investment and expose potential collaborations."
Mrs Dixon said the economic pressures arising from the COVID-19 pandemic would "certainly have an impact for some time to come, but with industries such as mining, the region holds future potential".
"Under these challenging circumstances, it's imperative that industries with a proven track record of providing thousands of jobs and billions in investment, such as the NSW mining industry, are encouraged to thrive under a reasonable and certain regulatory environment," she said.