Hunter workshops: a region rising
Over two days in Singleton and Lake Macquarie, the NZEA-led Hunter workshops brought together the voices shaping the region’s future. From the lakefront calm of Belmont to the industrial heart of Singleton, the conversations carried a shared determination - to build a strong, fair, and future-ready Hunter powered by collaboration, ingenuity, and local pride.
Shared voices, shared ground
The workshops were designed for listening - evidence first, then open discussion and honest reflection. Around each table sat people who live and breathe the Hunter’s industries: union representatives, business and industry leaders, educators, local, State and Commonwealth governments, and First Nations voices.
Participants spoke with pride about the Hunter’s leadership in industrial decarbonisation, its deep reserves of innovation, and its unmatched work ethic. There was open recognition that change is already here - and that the region’s strength lies in turning that change into opportunity. Key challenges were explored, including how to better coordinate across all levels of government to streamline approvals, strengthen local procurement, and create new pathways for workers, industry and small businesses to thrive.
From discussion to direction
Across both days, recurring themes emerged. The Hunter’s strength lies in its people, its ingenuity, and its connected networks. Aligning approvals, training, and investment pipelines was seen as the key to turning complexity into clarity.
Small and medium enterprises shared their appetite for transparency, visibility, and steady pipelines of work that enable them to plan, invest, and grow.
First Nations participants positioned self-determination as the foundation of regional prosperity. Their voices anchored both workshops, showing how cultural authority, enterprise, and land management can shape an inclusive and sustainable economy. Representation leads to impact when it creates real contracts, training, and long-term employment opportunities.
Energy in the ideas
The conversations around industry growth were lively and forward-looking. Participants across both locations expressed enthusiasm for sectors capable of creating sustained employment - advanced and clean manufacturing, defence sustainment and component production linked to Williamtown and the Port, and circular economy initiatives grounded in the Hunter’s industrial strengths. Participants spoke about renewable energy projects with measured optimism, focusing on capturing the long-term supply-chain opportunities that accompany them, and recognising renewable energy as the cornerstone of future growth.
The path forward
By the close of day, one truth stood out: collaboration is the Hunter’s greatest advantage. The workshops reflected not just concerns, but collective resolve. Every participant - from unions to business networks - agreed that progress now depends on maintaining momentum: faster approvals, clear communication, shared accountability, and purposeful delivery.
Looking ahead
As participants stepped away from the two-day series, the tone was confident and constructive. The Hunter stakeholders share a common goal of enabling sustainable industrial growth through better coordination, planning and investment. The message from both Belmont and Singleton was clear: every challenge signals potential, and every idea adds momentum to a region already rising to shape its future.
More information
To learn more about net zero in the Hunter, please visit our Hunter page.