Tony Windsor, the key independent MP who helped Labor retain government in 2010, says his anger at the approval of an open-cut mine near prime agricultural land on the Liverpool Plains could spur a political comeback.
The former New England MP said he was upset by the Government's decision to conditionally approve the Shenhua Watermark mine on the Liverpool Plains, and it was a strong reason to return.
"I am considering it [but] haven't made a firm decision one way or the other," he said.
"The approval of the Shenhua mine yesterday was definitely a tick in the positive box in a sense that I'd reconsider."
The former independent MP, who played a role in changing the rules around water and mine approvals, said the Chinese-owned mine would threaten the agricultural region's water resources.
Shenhua Watermark is planning to construct an open-cut mine to extract 10 million tonnes of coal a year from an area known for its fertile black agricultural soils.
"They're prepared to risk that because of shonky processes in the past," he said.
"I think it's an atrocious decision, not because of agriculture but because of water.
"Here we have this magnificent piece of land, underlain with the biggest groundwater system in the Murray-Darling and they're going to put that at risk because of the shonky arrangement that was put in place."
Mr Windsor said current New England member, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, was pretending to be upset at the decision.
"Quite obviously, he's got to be seen to be just outraged by all of this and 'I've tried and I've done my best', well he hasn't done his best and the people know," he said.
"They know that here, that he hasn't gone out and really worked on this issue."
The former New England MP said he was upset by the Government's decision to conditionally approve the Shenhua Watermark mine on the Liverpool Plains, and it was a strong reason to return.
"I am considering it [but] haven't made a firm decision one way or the other," he said.
"The approval of the Shenhua mine yesterday was definitely a tick in the positive box in a sense that I'd reconsider."
The former independent MP, who played a role in changing the rules around water and mine approvals, said the Chinese-owned mine would threaten the agricultural region's water resources.
Shenhua Watermark is planning to construct an open-cut mine to extract 10 million tonnes of coal a year from an area known for its fertile black agricultural soils.
"They're prepared to risk that because of shonky processes in the past," he said.
"I think it's an atrocious decision, not because of agriculture but because of water.
"Here we have this magnificent piece of land, underlain with the biggest groundwater system in the Murray-Darling and they're going to put that at risk because of the shonky arrangement that was put in place."
Mr Windsor said current New England member, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, was pretending to be upset at the decision.
"Quite obviously, he's got to be seen to be just outraged by all of this and 'I've tried and I've done my best', well he hasn't done his best and the people know," he said.
"They know that here, that he hasn't gone out and really worked on this issue."
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