Newcastle documentary explores coal's two-sided grip on the Hunter
Filmmakers Glenn Dormand and Tony Whitaker have made a three-part documentary weighing coal's economic benefits to the region against its environmental cost.
A new documentary asks how coal and clean energy can coexist in the Hunter region. Titled How Coal Shaped Newcastle, the three-part series draws on 45 interviews and more than 50 hours of filming.
Parts one and two trace coal's discovery at the mouth of the Hunter River and the growth of a multibillion-dollar industry over more than two centuries. Part three examines the region's future as it moves toward net zero.
Director Glenn Dormand said the conversation around coal became heated while they were filming. The project captures voices from different viewpoints, from mining executives discussing royalties to environmental activists to older miners concerned about fixing the environment.
- 45
- Interview participants
- More than 50 hours
- Filming hours
- Three
- Series parts
- More than two centuries
- Coal industry span
Why it mattersThe documentary shows coal's complex legacy in a region that depends on it, as Australia debates the industry's future.
AustraliaAustralians in NSW, especially the Hunter region, can see how one of the nation's major industries has shaped communities and economies, and what the transition away could look like.
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