Another local from Muswellbrook, a town in the NSW Hunter region at the frontline of Australia's energy transition, plans on staying long after BHP's Mt Arthur mine closes in 2030.
"We love our house and our land, so we're not going anywhere," the resident told researchers from the University of Newcastle.
A young businesswoman thinks her hometown of 10,000 people, which is easy driving distance to both Sydney and Newcastle, is "open to opportunities".
"(That's) the most special thing for me," she said.
The university's anthropologists interviewed locals for nine months to understand what the closure of the Mt Arthur open-cut mine - the largest in the state - would mean for the region.
It was critical to view areas like Muswellbrook as more than just "mining towns" in order to plan for the phase out of coal operations, according to their report released on Thursday.
"Muswellbrook existed before the mine came and it will exist afterwards," Associate Professor Hedda Askland told AAP.
"There's cautious optimism, there's a lot of concern, a lot of fear, but people still have a real sense of hope.
"They want to believe there is a future ... and they are deeply committed to this place they call home."
The report, funded by BHP's community investment program, found locals wanted the mining giant to leave a positive and reciprocal legacy in the town.
"Muswellbrook has given a lot to the industry, to the state and now that the industry is moving towards closure, there's an expectation they be cared for and prioritised," Dr Askland said.
Muswellbrook, which is home to the shuttered Liddell coal power station, also wanted to set a precedent for other regions navigating the energy transition.
The report made 12 recommendations for BHP to leave a positive legacy, including investment in social infrastructure, up-skilling for young and Indigenous residents and prioritising local workers in the mine's rehabilitation process.
It also recommended collaborative planning for post-mining land use, with a focus on conservation areas and the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge.
The research could help communities around Australia understand their value and strengths in the shift away from fossil fuels, Dr Askland said.
"This is a threshold moment; we're at the cusp of the next chapter for regional and rural communities," she said.
"We need to bring communities along with us to write that chapter."
14°C