The Political Economy of Air Quality Governance: A Stakeholder Analysis in the Upper Hunter, NSW, Australia

Maintaining air quality is an important environmental challenge, affecting both urban and regional areas where industrial, agricultural, and energy activities intersect. The Upper Hunter Valley, NSW, experiences emissions from coal mining, power generation, agriculture, and wood fires, compounded by local meteorology, geology, and climate change. This study applies a political economy framework to examine historical governance structures including colonial legacies, institutional arrangements, and power relations and how they shape stakeholder roles and influence decision-making related to air quality. Technical applied research including improving dust monitoring, occupational health studies, and investigations into alternative fuels provided an empirical basis for identifying key stakeholders, including mining and energy companies, regulatory agencies, local councils, community groups, and environmental organisations. The analysis demonstrates how these actors influence governance processes, social licence to operate, and public perceptions of environmental risk. Findings indicate that effective air quality management requires multi-level, collaborative approaches that integrate technical expertise, regulatory oversight, and community engagement. The study highlights the importance of systemic strategies that align economic, environmental, and social objectives, providing insight into the governance of contested environmental resources in historically and politically complex regional contexts. This article is a rewritten and expanded version of the study “Analysis of air quality stakeholders in the Upper Hunter”, presented at the Clean Air conference, in Hobart, Australia, August 2024.