The Mid-Western Region will need more than 5000 new houses by 2021 to cope with predicted population growth resulting from the expansion of coal mining, according to a study on local services commissioned for the State Government.
The report predicts the Mid-Western Region’s population could grow to 30,875 by 2020 and 33,160 by 2030 if 65 per cent of the mines’ workforce is based in the region.
New mining in the region could provide as many as 3200 new direct and indirect jobs in the region, and with low local unemployment, many of the workers are expected to come from outside the region.
The majority of the increase in population is expected to occur in Mudgee, with Gulgong predicted to grow by 3 per cent and the population of Rylstone and Kandos to fall.
The report warns that at current rates of development the region will have a 3896-lot shortfall in housing with a knock-on effect to low-income accommodation.
The Director General of the Department of Planning and Mid-Western Regional Council jointly requested the independent study of the effects of mining and the adequacy of services including roads, housing, health, employment, transport, water, sewerage, stormwater and waste.
The study by Manidis Roberts found some services – such as childcare and pre-schools – are already at capacity, while other services and infrastructure would require multi-million upgrades in the near future.
Based on the population scenario, Mudgee would require a new primary school and it is estimated that there may be as many as 1200 additional high school students in the region by 2030.
Extending St Matthew’s Catholic School to Year 12 is suggested as one option to meet the additional demand for high school places.
With a long waiting list for places at Mudgee Pre-School, Mudgee needs a new pre-school immediately, the study found “there is evidence to suggest” Mudgee needs another pre-school now.
Up to 17.7 per cent of the region’s population is expected to be working in skilled trades by 2030 and this shift is expected to place additional demands on the TAFE training system.
The study found enrolments at Western Institute of TAFE had increased by 18.5 per cent from 2005 to 2010 and that TAFE was unable to meet the current demand.
The report also identifies more than $100 million in capital works required to upgrade roads, including Ulan Road, Cope Road, Spring Ridge Road, Laheys Creek Road, Ulan Wollar Road, Wollar Bylong Road, Bylong Valley Way, Lue Road, Barra and Pyangle Roads and Barrigan Road.
Increasing traffic is also predicted to cause traffic management issues within the towns in the future.
Other impacts on infrastructure identified in the report include:
The existing landfill at the Mudgee Waste Depot will reach capacity in two to three years and waste services such as kerbside pick up are already at capacity and will require further investment if the population increases significantly;
• Planned upgrades to the water treatment system may have to be brought forward to cope with the additional demand. The study found the Gulgong sewerage treatment plant would not be able to cope with a large mining camp in the area;
• Although local sporting fields are of a high standard, most of the children’s play equipment requires upgrading to meet Australian standards;
• While Mid-Western Regional Council is currently upgrading its sewerage treatment works, the capacity of the plants could be exceeded by 2017;
The report also identifies a need for additional police in the future as well as increased need for community health, aged care and disability services, noting that there is no dedicated early childhood education service in the region.
Mid-Western Regional Council general manager Warwick Bennett said council was disappointed with the report’s view that existing hospitals have capacity to cope with the projected increase in population, although it identify a shortage of doctors in private practice.
Mr Bennett said since the State Government had endorsed the report, it would be valuable in lobbying for additional State Government and contributions from mines for to improve essential infrastructure and service.
Source: Robyn Murray, Mudgee Guardian