Hunter Environment Advisory Group

This group includes representatives from community, local industry and councils. It will engage with the EPA on existing, new or emerging environmental matters in the Hunter region.

Scope

The scope of the Hunter Environment Advisory Group (HEAG) is to enable local communities in the Hunter region to engage with their industrial neighbours, the EPA and the Minister for the Environment.

In particular, the HEAG will have the opportunity to help inform the EPA’s approach on matters specifically related to:

  • local air quality and the operation of local air quality networks
  • environmental matters in the Newcastle and Hunter region
  • communications and engagement with the community.

The HEAG is not a decision making or approval body.

Appointment

After an expression of interest process, the following members were appointed to the HEAG:

Chair

  • Jason Gordon, Executive Director Operations, EPA

Local government representatives

  • Tracy Ward, Sustainability Officer, Muswellbrook Shire Council
  • Danny Thompson, Councillor, Singleton Council
  • Philippa Hill, Environmental Strategy Manager, City of Newcastle

Industry Rrpresentatives

  • Annie Jiang, CEO Go Circular
  • Gary Mulhearn, Environment and Community Manager, Yancoal
  • Rob Cooper, Senior Manager Corporate Affairs AGL
  • Trudie Larnach, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Manager, Port Waratah Coal Services

Community representatives

  • Chris Tola
  • Alfred Davis
  • Michael White
  • Ian Hedley
  • Stephen Dewar
  • Michael Smith

Environmental representative

  • Wendy Wales

The Advisory Group will have access to independent technical expertise as required. 

Functions

The Advisory Group has the following functions:

  • to engage with the EPA on existing, new, or emerging matters of environmental concern in the Hunter region.
  • to identify and review any community concerns or complaints regarding any environmental and amenity issues associated with local industrial activities.
  • to provide feedback to the EPA on the effectiveness of measures and actions required to monitor, mitigate, or reduce environmental impacts from major industries in the Hunter region.
  • to contribute to community education for environmental issues such as air quality, water quality, contaminated land and remediation.
  • to facilitate ongoing dialogue between industry and the community to build trust and confidence in the environmental performance of industry.
  • to contribute to the management and implementation of environmental monitoring systems in the Hunter region, including, but not limited to, the Upper Hunter Air Quality Monitoring Network and the Lower Hunter Air Quality Monitoring Network.
  • to inform the community and industry of any actions undertaken by the EPA in response to matters raised.
  • to provide feedback to the EPA on the mechanisms by which the community wishes to be notified and kept informed in the event of an environmental incident.
  • to consider any matter referred by the Minister, or any other relevant matter.

Meeting summaries

At the meeting of the Hunter Environment Advisory Group, the EPA’s Director, Operations, David Gathercole welcomed group members joining for the first time.

The EPA provided an overview of the upcoming coal mine consultation to seek feedback on how we regulate coal mines in NSW. The consultation is an opportunity to have a look at the coal mining sector as a whole and ensure licences are operating as intended, to protect the community and environment. The consultation will complement the individual statutory five yearly reviews of coal mine licences, the majority of which are due in 2024, and provide community with a streamlined opportunity to have their say.

The group discussed the coal mine consultation and licence review process and members provided feedback on the communication and engagement approach for the consultation.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) presented recent air quality monitoring data from the Upper Hunter, Newcastle Local and Lower Hunter Air Quality Monitoring Networks.

Seasonal newsletters will be published on the Air publications website. A new dashboard display is under development for the air quality networks and near-real time data is available on the DCCEEW Air Quality website.

Other items raised by groups members for discussion included:

  • ammonium nitrate in the Port of Newcastle
  • the scrubber being installed on the prill tower at Orica, Kooragang Island
  • coal dust in Stockton
  • effective communication with the Hunter community.
The next group meeting is intended for November 2024.

The newly established Hunter Environment Advisory Group (HEAG) met for the first time on 16 May 2024. The Group is comprised of 14 representatives from community, industry and councils and chaired by NSW EPA Executive Director Operations Jason Gordon.

The HEAG combines and replaces two former committees, the Upper Hunter Air Quality Advisory Committee (UHAQAC) and the Newcastle Community Consultative Committee for the Environment (NCCCE). The new group aims to provide a more unified approach to environmental issues across the region.

The first meeting covered a range of topics including local air quality and monitoring networks, major licenced facilities in the area, water quality and the challenges associated with regulating in a changing economic environment where the economic benefits of large facilities need to be balanced with environmental impacts. We also discussed the results of our recent Operation ‘Bust the Dust’, where EPA officers undertook 78 observations of coal mines in the Hunter Valley between August-December 2023 to monitor for dust emissions.

The results from this latest campaign showed most local mines do have appropriate measures in place such as increased action for dust suppression during dry, windy weather conditions and several instances where operations were stood down in response to dust risks.

We are committed to more transparency about how the EPA works with our licensees and protects the environment across a range of local industries. Group members are keen to share feedback from their local networks with the HEAG and we will be working together to ensure communication to local communities is effective and transparent.

The HEAG and Bust the Dust were promoted through a media release.