More than half of the surveyed Muswellbrook residents want to diversify

Muswellbrook Shire Council commissioned an independent organisation to conduct the random telephone survey with residents to gauge the community's attitude on a broad range of issues.

It found more than one in five (21 per cent) identified the future of the coal industry and coal-fired power generation as a major challenge.

When asked to pick a preference, just over half (54 per cent) said they would prefer that Muswellbrook Shire Council diversify, throwing the weight of its support behind other industries.

"Residents were very receptive to all the prompted industry areas", the survey report said, the most mentioned being agriculture (88 per cent), followed by services (nursing, education, and social assistance 86 per cent), and manufacturing (81 per cent).

A total of 38 per cent said they would prefer to continue to focus on coal mining, and 8 per cent were unsure.

Muswellbrook Councillor Jeff Drayton said the results were remarkable, for 54 per cent of the residents of a mining town to say they would prefer that Muswellbrook diversify into other industries.

"Only 24 per cent of residents believe that the major opportunities for the shire remain with coal mining," Cr Drayton said.

"These results are extraordinary for a town supposedly a mining town. There was a time when sporting clubs, and charity groups etc would organise functions around mining rosters. I don't see this occurring anymore.

"Muswellbrook remains a mining town now for no other reason than the mines themselves operate on our doorstep, not for the fact that coal miners reside in our town."

Coal mining was the most mentioned major opportunity for the prosperity of the Shire, more than doubling in mentions since 2021. More than 5 per cent of residents selected 'renewable energy' and 'retail/small business as other opportunities.

"Another interesting change since 2021 is the increased engagement with this question, with the number of residents with a suggestion increasing from 69 per cent to 90 per cent," a report attached to the survey says.

Protection of the natural environment and wildlife was one of the identified keys to drive up the community's satisfaction with council, along with economic development and attracting new investment.

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