Over 100 Hunter residents, including 30 doctors, have signed a joint letter addressed to the Ministers for Health and Environment calling for improvements in the region's air quality.
The letter pushes for the Ministers to take action against the coal mining industry to fund reparations for damages caused by air pollution.
Numerous Singleton GP's have raised concerns over the links between poor air quality and resident's declining health, with these worries supported by 32 doctors across Newcastle, Gloucester and other parts of the Hunter.
Dr Tuan Au says "we're not sure people outside the region understand how bad the situation is, so we are asking the Ministers to come and meet with people here and talk about how to clear the air."
Eight air quality monitoring stations across the Hunter Valley, this year, have reported breaches of national pollution standards for daily average concentrations of the coarse particle pollution, PM10.
Dr Robert Vickers says "when there are spikes in PM10 there is a decline in the health of local residents, particularly those with asthma, heart and lung disease."
As coal mining is the largest source of PM10 pollution, residents and doctors are concerned about the construction of a new coal mine and more that are proposed for approval.
"In one week of August we had 5 days straight of what the EPA considers poor air quality," says Dr Vickers.
The joint letter is criticising the government's controls on mining.
Doctors for the Environment spokesperson John van der Kallen says "the Hunter doesn't even have basic measures like keeping mines a minimum distance from residential areas.
"New action from the NSW government to clear the air and make the mining industry pay for the cost of pollution has stalled, but mining continues to expand close to villages, towns and schools.
"It's got to stop."
