Coal dust pollution in regional Australian coal mining towns: Social License to Operate and community resistance

Abstract

The mining industry’s generation of environmental risks has galvanised increasing social upheaval worldwide, leading to its Social License to Operate being called into question. The coal mining industry is no exception. Nonetheless, the industry remains a crucial supporter of many regional Australian economies, providing communities with employment opportunities and vital amenities. However, this support comes at the expense of direct exposure to particulate matter emissions or ‘coal dust’, a pollutant known for its adverse long-term health outcomes. Thus, communities are dealt an intriguing social dilemma: ‘Do you bite the hand that feeds you?’ This paper explores how Singleton and Clermont, regional Australian coal mining towns in New South Wales and Queensland, respectively, have exemplified such a phenomenon. Based on 34 thematically analysed semi-structured interviews, this paper develops its argument that the Social License to Operate, as a metric for community acceptance and approval, may be rendered useless when communities are economically dependent on coal mining. This paper aims to ultimately shed light on the factors affecting the Social License to Operate using regional Australian perspectives, highlighting the malleability of community acceptance.