Filling the void: imagining post-mining landscapes in the Hunter Valley

Australia is one of the largest coal exporters in the world, and the rural Hunter Valley in New

South Wales is the source of much of this coal. The Upper Hunter Valley is today characterised by

a moon-like landscape dotted with empty craters and barren hills. Most of this landscape is

planned to be regenerated through progressive backfilling of pits, however, plans for

rehabilitation and restoration are poor, and there is no cohesive framework to guide the process

of mine closure. However, as the world is responding to the urgent need to address carbon