Industrial park offers $2bn boon

By Anne Davies, Urban Affairs Editor March 22 2002

The state's biggest industrial park at Tomalpin, near Cessnock, has been given the go-ahead as part of a plan to generate $2 billion worth of investment and 10,000 jobs in the Hunter region.

The NSW Government announced yesterday that it had approved the 870-hectare Hunter Employment Zone, which will cover an area as large as the Sydney CBD down to Botany Bay.

It is expected to attract a range of big industries, such as heavy manufacturing, recycling, and logistics and distribution. As part of the approval, 2,000 hectares will be dedicated to either a national park or habitat protection areas. "The Government's approval of the Hunter Employment Zone heralds economic and social renewal right across the region," said the Minister for Planning, Andrew Refshauge."This is the biggest new economic zone in the state. We are focusing on opportunities for sustainable, large-scale job-generating developments close to infrastructure, resources and markets."

Dr Refshauge said several investors had already expressed interest, including a $300 million enterprise with potentially 240 jobs. There would also be significant investments in infrastructure, including road and rail links, to be fully financed by the developer. Westpac will now undertake a $32 million capital raising to fund the next stage of infrastructure for the site.

The approval drew criticism from green campaigners, who say the site is inappropriate because it is part of the largest block of intact bushland left in the floor of the Hunter Valley. "We've suggested four other sites, including some degraded mine sites, but to no avail," said a greens councillor, Claire Cosh. "There is no plan in place for traffic, for water and for waste. The site is so constrained it will become a white elephant."