Rob Stokes believes old mining sites should be adapted and reused for development to diversify economies instead of rehabilitating the land to how it used to be.
The NSW Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport was in town on Wednesday to speak at an Urban Development Institute of Australia lunch and announce a $1.17 million grant for Lake Macquarie council's Fernleigh Track extension.
Mr Stokes said at the lunch there were "very, very specific rehabilitation requirements" for mining areas to return them to the way they were before mining started.
"But we didn't do that for Newcastle Courthouse, we didn't do that for Fernleigh Track, we didn't do that with the end of rail link in Newcastle," he said.
"Sure we rehabilitated, but we rehabilitated them for new use. We didn't rehabilitate them for no use whatsoever.
"Why the hell do we necessarily take mining leases and rehabilitate them to the point as if nothing ever happened there? Why can't we reuse them?"
Lake Macquarie council has identified several former mining sites that have "significant potential for development" to diversify the economy and transition from mining and power generation.
"These include the DA-approved BlackRock Motor Park site at Wakefield and the Glencore lands in the North West Catalyst Area, which cover an 1100ha area from Boolaroo almost up to the M1," council CEO Morven Cameron said.
"The redevelopment of the Pasminco site, as the Minister mentioned, is also a great example of how former industrial lands can be repurposed to provide jobs in the new economy."
The council has already advocated to the state government to streamline the process for adaptive reuse of mining lands, having faced a "challenging and lengthy" process for BlackRock - an $85 million motorsport recreation resort project on former mining land in Wakefield.
"One of the problems is that changing consent conditions to allow adaptive reuse of a mining site is an uncertain process for the mining land owners," Ms Cameron said.
"Our experience with BlackRock is that the land owner needs reassurance that altering development consent conditions to allow for an alternative end use will not result in a more costly or onerous outcome."
The CEO said simplifying the process would benefit the wider region and beyond.
"This is an issue that will have relevance beyond the Lake Macquarie LGA as mines throughout the region near the end of their working lives," she said.
"Other councils in the Hunter have indicated they are facing similar challenges in planning for alternative, employment-generating uses for former mining lands.''
Mr Stokes also mentioned the housing shortage and how energy transition could include a shift in jobs from mining to construction and housing.
"According to the statistics we have at the moment by 2041, this region will require additional 86,987 new homes," he said.
He said it shouldn't be expected that to transition away from coal, mine workers on good wages would go and study an environmental science degree and come back and work in bush regeneration for less money.
"I don't think that's just transition," he said.
"I think just transition is providing more jobs in housing and construction.
"That's the future, that's the opportunity."
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