COAL mining companies should do better to ensure what they leave behind can be repurposed to create jobs, and to restore the environment, Hunter residents say.
More than 70 per cent of Upper Hunter residents who responded to a Hunter Renewal poll said mine rehabilitation should include replanting woodland and forest corridors that have been cleared for coal mining in the Hunter.
And 65 per cent said they agreed when asked if, with coal prices at an all-time high, coal mining companies should contribute money to a long-term fund for environmental monitoring and protection after mines close.
Spokeswoman for Hunter Renewal, Danielle Coleman, said the polling showed the community wants to see "best practice" mine rehabilitation, which involves restoring forests and woodlands that have been destroyed by mining.
"There's lots of job opportunities in that work," Ms Coleman said.
"The poll also reflects that the community wants the mining industry to pay to repair the damage it has done to the Hunter.
"With recent news that BHP intends to close the Mt Arthur coal mine in 2030, it's more important than ever that mining companies listen to communities and deliver the highest quality mine rehabilitation, including ecological restoration.
"We need a vision for the Hunter that includes a landscape vision for restored lands and new renewable and clean manufacturing precincts in already disturbed areas. This polling shows the local community is clearly behind that approach," she said.
Hunter Renewal is a working group born out of a partnership between Lock the Gate and the Hunter Central Rivers Alliance focused on the diversification and resilience of the Hunter, and supporting the region to adapt and grow.
The results show strong community support for the types of pathways laid out in a report for Lock the Gate by consultant's EY, Ms Coleman said.
"That report found that thousands of jobs and more than $3.7 billion in economic output could be generated in the Hunter if post-mining rehabilitation includes biodiversity restoration and repurposes seriously degraded mine sites for renewable energy projects," she said.
"Crucially, the report demonstrated how so-called 'buffer lands' - areas of comparatively undisturbed country between mining pits and farmland or towns and suburbs - could contribute to region-wide restoration supporting biodiversity and jobs."
There are 17 mines expected to close in the Hunter over the next 20 years. Under current mine approvals, many sites must be rehabilitated and returned to conservation or primary production.
More than 6000 hectares of mining land in the Upper Hunter have been earmarked for other industries as part of a blueprint to diversify the region's economy and create thousands of new jobs.
At the start of June, the state government identified sections of mining leases that could be used for activities including intensive agriculture and manufacturing.
As reported by the Newcastle Herald, the Perrottet government is looking at ways to amend planning controls to unlock large parcels of mining land around Singleton and Muswellbrook.
It's understood this would include rezoning parts of mine sites for other uses and permitting land uses that aren't currently allowed on mining land without the need for rezoning, so development applications can be lodged faster.
