Presence, absence and ongoing legacy: Mining voids, transition and post-industrial futures in the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia

Debates about mining and its impacts on society, health and the environment have long existed. In more recent times, mining’s temporality and increased discussion about degraded landscapes have seen the emergence of theoretical ideas like the ‘minescape’ (Burtynsky 2009), the ‘anti-landscape’ (Nye, 2007), and abstractions such as ‘presence and absence’ also being considered (Jones et al, 2012; Tjandra 2023). This paper responds to and builds upon these ideas particularly in relation to post-mining legacies and the enormous caverns that remain. Described as ‘final voids’, these represent the neglected absences that are emptied yet remain ever-present within communities throughout Australia. In the NSW Hunter Valley specifically, over the next 20 years, 17 mines are due to close and many of them have been approved by the state government to remain unfilled. Not only does this pose a significant risk of contamination to communities and the environment surrounding these hollows, but it also negatively influences how we think about these spaces and their potential use into the future. Recognising this, and the fact that this region is going to eventually transition to a post-industrial future, this paper also briefly considers how this might be achieved in a just and equitable manner.