The Upper Hunter Mining Dialogue has released the 2024 Air Quality Update, the latest report in the air quality data analysis project for the region. 

The Update analyses and reports on key aspects of air quality across the Upper Hunter collecting data from 14 NSW Government Air Quality Monitoring Stations. 

Concentrations of PM10 (coarse inhalable particles) and PM2.5 (fine inhalable particles) are analysed, as well as the correlation between rainfall and raw coal production with particulate matter concentrations. This data is compared to data from other NSW Government monitoring regions across NSW.

Overall the 2024 findings show that the air quality in the Upper Hunter has changed compared to 2023, but these changes are generally consistent with changes observed across the rest of NSW. 

Key findings from the 2024 Update are: 

• PM10 levels in the Upper Hunter followed similar patterns to the rest of NSW in 2024, except for significant increases seen in the South West Slopes region. 
• PM2.5 levels in the Upper Hunter stayed the same in 2024, while the rest of NSW saw a small decrease of 0.1 µg/m³.
• There is a strong link between rainfall and particulate matter levels in the Upper Hunter, with higher rainfall leading to lower particle concentrations (R value of -0.85).
• There was not a strong correlation between coal production and PM10 levels (R² value of 0.55 to 0.64) which suggests that regional conditions such as rainfall is the dominant factor influencing PM10 concentration.  
• No large populations in the Upper Hunter, including Muswellbrook, Singleton, and Aberdeen, recorded any 24-hour PM10 exceedances.
• Seven exceedances were recorded in smaller communities, including Bulga, Camberwell, Jerrys Plains, Maison Dieu, Warkworth, and Wybong. This number of exceedances is similar to exceedance averages across the rest of NSW.