Hunter mines are suppressing dust and minimising impacts on local air quality, according to the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA)’s recent Bust the Dust campaign.
Launched on 1 September 2025, the NSW EPA’s annual campaign involved 34 surprise inspections of the region’s 12 open cut mines to assess compliance with dust mitigation requirements.
NSW EPA Director of Operations David Gathercole said the results were a good outcome for mines and the community.
“We know people in the Hunter are concerned about the potential impacts of particulate pollution, and we take these issues seriously,” Mr Gathercole said.
“That’s why we ramped up our fifth Bust the Dust campaign, increasing the use of unannounced inspections, using our powers of entry and visiting mines on weekends and evenings.
“The EPA found that, the mines had appropriate dust mitigation measures in place and were responsive to changing weather conditions.
“We saw mine workers using slower vehicle speeds, operating at lower elevations and standing down equipment during unfavourable weather, which is what we want to see to ensure the community remains protected.”
The Hunter region experienced a wet start to spring, with conditions shifting into hotter and drier weather at the beginning of December, including several ‘extreme’ fire days.
Local reports made to the EPA concerning dust and air quality concerns have halved since 2023, reflecting more favourable environmental conditions and improved operating standards.
In 2025, the EPA announced it had entered a legally binding agreement with Warkworth mine, requiring upgrades and for the mine to pay $120,000 to a local environmental project after non-compliances were found in the 2023 Bust the Dust campaign.
Community members can report concerns about dust emissions to the Environment Line on 131 555 or via email at [email protected].
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