Mayor Tom Kennedy says the city must be quick to act on the prospect of uranium mining, after Australia recently signed a long term uranium supply deal with India.
A bill to repeal the ban on uranium mining in NSW has already passed the NSW Upper House, and is set to be tabled in the Lower House in the near future by Local Member for Barwon, Mr Roy Butler.
At Wednesday's Council meeting, Mayor Kennedy successfully tabled a Mayoral Minute stating that Council would support lifting the ban on uranium mining, provided any uranium mining in our region followed strict environmental controls and paid royalties to the city of Broken Hill.
The city's Labor Councillors opposed the Mayoral Minute, and unsuccessfully requested it be deferred for community consultation.
Mayor Kennedy said it was important that city made its stance clear on the issue as quickly as possible.
"When new industry is on the horizon you either put your best foot forward and state your demands, or you miss out like we did with the wind turbine project at Silverton," said Mayor Kennedy.
"This bill could be before the Lower House in a matter of weeks, and we can't afford to spend months on consultation and be seen as unsure of our position.
"We're a mining city, we already have residents and businesses participating in the uranium mining industry at Honeymoon, and if there's a chance for that industry to grow in NSW then Broken Hill deserves to benefit from it."
Mayor Kennedy said he was unsure why Labor Councillors opposed his Mayoral Minute given it was their party that had struck the uranium supply deal with India.
"I find the public hand-wringing from Labor a bit disingenuous. I think the Labor party underestimate how informed our community is, especially when it comes to mining.
"Everyone knows Labor has already committed this country to increased uranium mining via its deal with India, the only question now is who is going to benefit from it.
"India are going to need 23,000 tonnes of uranium per year to meet their targets, and when Australia's uranium mining inevitably ramps up to meet that demand I want to ensure our position is clear - we want environmental protections and we want royalties from any mining in our region."
