The multi-billion dollar Hunter Valley thoroughbred breeding industry is calling on the NSW government to come good on its election promise and protect their agricultural land from future mining projects.
The Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association (HTBDA) will on Tuesday join other industry groups, community leaders and concerned citizens in Sydney's CBD for a rally organised by NSW Farmers.
In March, the NSW Government released its draft regional land use policy, which classified 400,000 hectares of the Upper Hunter as high-value agricultural land.
However, new major mining and exploration projects were not ruled out under the draft government guidelines, despite a pre-election pledge by the NSW Liberals and Nationals to do so.
HTBDA vice president Andrew Wiles said the government's current plan offers the thoroughbred industry no investment certainty or protection from mining encroachment in the future.
"Clearly there's a concern across the agricultural sector," Mr Wiles said.
"They want to see the commitments made in the lead-up to the election honoured and delivered."
The HTBDA said the decision to join the rally was not taken lightly and stressed it was not an anti-mining protest but a peaceful community action.
The Hunter Valley is the second largest thoroughbred breeding region in the world, employing thousands of people across the region.
More than half of the top Australian racehorses, as ranked by the International Federation of Horse Authorities in 2011, hail from the Hunter Valley.The HTBDA has in the past successfully lobbied against mining projects in the region.
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