Tony Lonergan wants to see a funded clean energy transition authority, independent of government, to coordinate the diversification of local economies

For Mr Lonergan, who lives at Kayuga near Muswellbrook, climate was the biggest issue going into the NSW election, and a divisive one in the Hunter.

"Obviously, lot of people are completely dependent on the coal industry and are naturally anxious when anyone suggests that the industry needs to be phased out.

"But we simply have to face up to the reality of situation. Climate scientists are virtually unanimous about the threat posed by global warming, and coal and gas are the main drivers.

"We are now seeing the undeniable impacts in the form of climate fuelled extreme weather events, here and around the world. 2022 was a standout year in this regard, with floods and more floods, causing really costly impacts on infrastructure and communities," Mr Lonergan said.

"The Lismore floods alone cost $9.6 billion according to the insurance industry. And this will inevitably get worse as greenhouse gas emissions rise. We have to change course."

Mr Lonergan said The Greens are committed to ensuring that coal industry workers are not left behind in the challenging process of change in the future ahead.

"The Greens are proposing a funded transition authority, independent of government, to coordinate the diversification of local economies, and a job subsidy for coal workers employed in new industries for up to 10 years.

He said The Greens plan to fund the transition by increasing coal royalties.

"The current boom in coal prices has seen windfall profits of tens of billions of dollars, currently split 92 per cent to the coal companies, mostly foreign owned, 8 per cent to the people of NSW who own the resource. This is just dumb," Mr Lonergan said.

"The Greens believe it is critical to remove the corrupting influence on government by corporations through political donations. Money flowing to political parties by fossil fuel and gambling industries will be banned.

The state of the roads is also high on the agenda for Upper Hunter residents, Mr Lonergan said better planning was needed for the future to ensure more infrastructure wasn't damaged by natural disasters linked to climate change.

"Our road was badly washed out for almost a year before it was patched up with disaster relief money from the government. It still hasn't been graded," Mr Lonergan said

"More and more of our resources will be needed to repair infrastructure as the planet continues to warm. This is the cost of inaction. It will not be easier in the coming years. Better planning, buying back homes on floodplains and boosting emergency services will be needed.

Cost of living, infrastructure for the region and housing affordability were also areas Upper Hunter voters said they wanted to see improvements.

Mr Lonergan said a move toward renewables would help to address the strain in these areas.

"Energy costs can only be addressed by moving quickly to renewables. No one will invest in new coal plants because they cannot compete in a modern energy market.

"At the same time, we should not be tied to the old model of centralised big generators. Load shifting, smart mini grids and community power can play a significant role in future power systems and lower costs to households. We are in the 21st century and should be investing in 21st century technologies," Mr Lonergan said.

"There is a crisis in housing. The Greens will introduce a suite of legislation to protect renters.

"The housing shortage, which is the ultimate cause of the problem, can only be addressed by more supply."

The Greens have committed to building 2500 low-cost public houses in regional NSW per year till 2030.

"Public housing has been neglected by governments for decades," Mr Lonergan said.

Protecting the environment was high on the list of priorities for The Greens, who's party was founded on four core pillars, environmental stewardship, social justice, grassroots democracy and peace and non-violence, Mr Lonergan said.

"Our native forests are refuge for hundreds of plants and animals unique to our country.

"These forests also supply clean water and store millions of tons of carbon. Logging makes forests more prone to severe fires and has cost taxpayers $28 million over the last two years in direct subsidies.

"Paying to destroy our natural heritage makes no sense. Our rivers are in a deplorable state. The health of the rivers should be central to their management.

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