Lithgow Council welcomes NSW Govt’s stance on the future of Coal and Coal fired Power Stations.

Lithgow Mayor Clr Ray Thompson welcomed Energy Minister Matt Kean’s confirmation in the Daily Telegraph newspaper yesterday that “he was willing to legislate to ensure a longer term coal supply” and that referring to Mount Piper in the Lithgow region, Minister Kean confirmed he “..won’t rule out legislation to secure their (Mount Piper) coal”.

“There has been a policy void for far too long regarding coal, creating uncertainty for jobs and future Investment in the industry as our political representatives of all persuasions’ pursued popular politics. The strong and direct stance taken by this NSW Government on this issue creates a potentially positive jobs and investment climate..” said Mayor Thompson.

Deputy Mayor Clr Wayne McAndrew strongly supported the NSW Gov’ts approach, stating that “a clear and strong message has been sent to our community and the Coal Industry by the NSW Govt, which is also reflective of the arguments put forward by bodies such as the Coal Miners Union which has stood out in recent times as a strong advocate of long term job retention in the Coal and Power generation industries”.