The industry group’s analysis of the existing queue of projects seeking state environmental approval led it to conclude that 6000 existing mining jobs were at risk while another 14,000 may never be created.

The Planning Assessment Commission recently demonstrated the risk to existing jobs with its decisions to reject the projects to extend the lives of the Drayton, Invincible and Cullen Valley coal mines – made in defiance of carefully articulated state planning department recommendations for conditional approval.

The industry group also found that the current project queue, if all the proposals are approved, offered the potential to provide 8013 new construction jobs, 6580 new operational mining jobs and 6213 continuing current jobs.

The Minerals Council said more than 4300 workers lost their jobs in NSW’s coal mining industry over the last two years with 3000 in the Hunter Valley.

It said another 500 were likely to go because of the rejection of Anglo American’s Drayton South extension project.

“The mining industry has been going through some tough times, made even tougher by the state’s planning laws which are costing jobs,” the industry group said.

“The NSW government knows the system is broken. They tried to replace it with a new planning system last year but were blocked in parliament.”

“Urgent and meaningful reform of the system is needed to protect jobs and restore confidence in NSW as a place to invest.”