Growing up on the fertile flats of Glennies Creek near Singleton, I am deeply aware of the impact coal mining and power generation have had on the Hunter Valley environment. My family’s property was just six kilometres from the Liddell power station and only hundreds of metres from Rix’s Creek underground coal mine.

The Liddell power station was 50 years old when it shut down, and I understand the sense of loss felt by workers who had developed a personal connection to the place. I sympathise with this attachment; however, I also find it difficult not to harbour resentment towards the coal industry-the very industry responsible for devastating our natural landscape and family farming communities. Both farming and mining have displaced the Wonnaruah people from their traditional lands, and there is much repair to be done.

I grieve the loss of my home and the landscape we once knew. Reflecting on how humans have so severely altered this land in such a short time fills me with concern for the generations yet to come.

These feelings drive my responsibility as a designer to explore and critically challenge the extent of change in the Hunter Valley, the history lost, and the recompense required. I believe we must:

• Prevent any future fossil fuel projects from causing further devastation to country and worsening the effects of climate change;
• Plan to mitigate climate change impacts through creative design, construction, and investment in renewable energy;
• Commit to meaningful remediation of landscapes damaged by mining and energy operations, particularly protecting surface and groundwater;
• Advocate against fossil fuel companies monopolising our precious freshwater resources;
• Work to reconnect communities with these transformed landscapes; and
• Collaborate to regain agency and heal our environment, led by Indigenous management practices and informed by our changing climate.

Hannah Cheetham holds a Master of Architecture and has an extensive background in construction and fabrication industries. She is the director and founder of Built In-Kind, a social enterprise workshop based on Awabakal land (Newcastle), NSW. Built In-Kind combines architectural design, workshop and fabrication education, material recovery, and community development.