The Newcastle Coal Terminal, at the mouth of the Hunter River, in New South Wales, Australia.
Photographer: Brendon Thorne/BloombergA Showdown Over Coal Could Decide Who Wins Australia's Election
- Hunter Valley has become a key battleground for May 21 vote
- Coal mining community fears climate promises could cost jobs
A coal-mining community that has elected the same political party for more than a century could decide Australia’s next government this month in an election that has divided the nation over how to battle climate change.
Poll after poll has shown that the majority of Australians want to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but with the ruling conservative Liberal-National coalition holding power by a single seat and the two main political camps almost neck and neck, it could come down to a handful of constituencies where an abrupt end to coal mining would devastate communities, leaving thousands of workers without jobs.