Election candidates in New South Wales have been urged to get behind the resource industry as research reveals almost 4 out of 5 voters believe mining is integral for the state’s economic future.

In a statement released last week, the New South Wales Minerals Council reminded politicians of overwhelming public support for the resource sector, with 79% of participants in the ReachTEL survey believing the state’s growth depended on strong industry.

The research also showed 78% of voters say jobs should be of high priority when major projects are assessed for approval.

“Many regional towns and communities across NSW rely on upon major mining projects as a pillar of their local economies,” chief executive Stephen Galilee said.

“In Singleton, the last Census found around 20% of the local workforce was employed in mining; in Mudgee, around 15%; and in Lithgow, at least 10% of local workers were miners.”

Research conducted in May 2013 also showed 79% of Coalition voters and 73% of Labor voters were in support of the resource sector.

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