A NEW foundation in the works by a joint organisation of Hunter leaders may help soften the expected end to mining and coal-fired power in the region.
The Hunter Joint Organisation has flagged its plans a day after the Newcastle Herald revealed that mining giant Glencore had flagged a 2023 end date for its operations at the Integra and Liddell mines.
The foundation, dubbed Hunter 2050, also has support from education providers, community organisations and industry.
Hunter Joint Organisation's board chair, Cessnock mayor Bob Pynsent, said it was important to cushion the region against major transformation in an industry that employs 25,000 people directly and leads to coal exports worth $3.6 billion.
"The Hunter has faced this sort of challenge before, with the closure of BHP operations in the 1990s," Cr Pynsent said.
"What we learnt then was that we need to start dealing with this potential crisis immediately."
"That's why we intend to create the Hunter 2050 Foundation well ahead of planned closures. Through this, we can ramp up new industries and businesses and get ahead of the curve."
Ravensworth East mine is expected to close next year, with both Liddell and Bayswater power stations expected to be gone by 2035.
Cr Pynsent said the Hunter 2050 Foundation would need $15 million to begin and would help fund emerging industries, repurpose land and shift workers and businesses into new sectors "that are meaningful, enjoyable and use their skills to best effect".
"These closures are the start of local industrial changes that we can't fully predict or control," Cr Pynsent said.
"We need to be prepared for these changes and for the implications of state and global targets of zero net emissions by 2050. New and emerging Industries like defence, hydrogen, renewables, wine and tourism and agri-business can secure the future of our region, if we act now."
Singleton mayor Sue Moore, a board member of the Joint Organisation, said COVID-19 was a test case for what the sector's evolution could look like without action.
"The impact of doing nothing will not only be devastating for the Hunter, it will be bad for the whole country," Cr Moore said.
