Small Town Coal

The documentary ‘Small Town Coal’ addresses the critical social issue of a just transition in fossil fuel-dependent communities. The discussion surrounding these transitions is often oversimplified, reducing it to a binary of ‘progress’ versus the ‘past’. This lack of nuanced dialogue prevents meaningful decision-making that genuinely considers the interests of communities. By fostering a connection between coal-dependent towns and urban viewers, the film aims to humanise the people at the heart of this transition and open a dialogue of understanding. It challenges ‘agenda-driven’ politics and emphasises the complex realities surrounding coal, sustainability, and the future, inviting audiences to see the ‘grey’ areas where solutions can begin to emerge. The ‘old’ vs ‘new’ thinking is at boiling point as systems of extractive economics come undone on the world stage – will the town, community, and environment survive the unravelling, and what is next for ‘Small Town Coal’?

An intergenerational discussion – Muswellbrook has the potential to sustain new industry, and the possibility to continue down its pre-trodden path. The ‘old’ vs ‘new’ thinking is at boiling point as the systems of extractive economics are regularly coming undone on the world stage – will the town, community, and environment survive the unravelling, and what is next for ‘Small Town Coal’?

Our goal is to open a new dialogue about the future of coal communities and their role in the energy transition through our ‘Small Town Coal’ social media campaign, featuring our documentary in high schools, and collaborating with our partners at climate conferences like Climate Action Week and Greenhouse Technologies. We seek to inform the new generation on the future of energy, and the current failures of past corporations and government decision making, to encourage the creation of new frameworks for collaboration that prioritise people over politics.

We hope to create invigorating discussions that can lead to solution-building for ‘small towns’ moving away from coal; exposing a lack of action and help catalyse positive change at a grassroots level. To reveal the lack of government and corporate incentives as a root for misinformation around the building of a hope-driven blueprint.

This is a problem that is not unique to Muswellbrook and echoes true to greater Australia. This film embodies the reality of the Australian ‘battler’ and the need to preserve a community that has given so much and teetering on the edge of fading into history like so many. Bringing awareness to the ongoing battle for identity and survival has the potential to spark legitimate political action while building holistic ‘Just Transition’ campaigns. We aim to shift the narrative for towns like Muswellbrook to that of inclusivity, thoughtfulness and fairness embodying a more human-centric dialogue. This offers a space for reflection on how we can futureproof.

Our film is anchored by a respected local figure who brings unique insider access to Muswellbrook’s story. Unlike previous documentaries that have portrayed mining communities as outsiders, our approach recognizes that we’re all navigating the same challenges. This authentic perspective allows us to capture honest conversations with everyone from community leaders to everyday residents, revealing the complex reality beyond the usual political divide.

Our film mobilises audiences to use their democratic power where it matters most. Through strategic voting and community activism, we can stop coal mine expansions and accelerate clean energy development. Most crucially, we demand the government implement existing community-designed blueprints for transition – solutions created by those who understand their needs best.

We call for complete transparency in both government policy and fossil fuel corporate financing. This accountability is essential to ensure mining communities don’t just survive Australia’s sustainable transition – they lead it.