One Nation's NSW leader Stuart Bonds has implored the Hunter's mining community to fight back against what he described as the "cult of net zero" and confirmed the party wants to build a new coal-fired power station in the region.
Mr Bonds made the comments during a panel discussion with Labor Cessnock MP Clayton Barr, Nationals Upper MP Dave Layzel and NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee.
The interaction, where all agreed that the proposed Hunter Valley Operations extension was vital to the region's economic security, marked the unofficial start of the state election campaign.
In response to a question about One Nation's energy and mining policies, Mr Bonds said the party's long-term energy solution was nuclear power.
As a first step, the party would lift the ban on uranium mining.
"If we can lift that, then we can start to have some sort of civilised discussion about it," he said.
In the short term, he said the party would waste no time building a new coal-fired power station in the Hunter.
Buoyed by continued favorable opinion polling, Mr Bonds took the opportunity to condemn the net zero policies of Labor and the Coalition.
"You've got to understand that you can't rationalise people out of a position that they weren't rationalised into in the first place," Mr Bonds told the 500-strong audience at the NSW Mining Health, Safety, Environment and Community conference at Cessnock.
"This is a cult that you're dealing with, a net zero cult, and you are fighting for your lives and the existence of the companies.
"You can be polite and do all these, you know, welcome to countries and you can give out all the community grants that you want. These people don't care.
"They want to see the end of your industry. They are anti-capitalist people. So you need to push forward. You need to push forward and get behind people that get behind you and your companies."
Cessnock MP Clayton Barr, said he was "desperate" for the HVO extension to go ahead.
While the government was determined to pursue a long-term net zero strategy, Mr Barr said he was pleased it had moved away from "demonising" the coal industry.
"We are acknowledging and respecting that people don't love coal or the other minerals, but they get a job, they go to work. They put a roof over their head, they put food on the table, they raise their families. All that has to be respected," he said.
Mr Barr said One Nation's plan to build a new coal-fired power station would cause power bills to double, to which Mr Bonds responded coal-fired power was cheaper than the cost of investing billions of dollars in new clean energy infrastructure.
Earlier, Resources Minister Courtney Houssos reiterated comments made by Premier Chris Minns about the government's support for mining and the HVO extension.
"I want to say that our government recognises that HVO is a significant employer here in the Hunter Valley," she said.
"Our government supports coal industries and responsible investment. We believe they deliver good regional jobs particularly across the Hunter Region."
Ms Houssos confirmed the government was trying to progress its Future Jobs and Investment legislation. However, she said it was being stalled by a coalition of political interests intent on stalling the passage of legislation.
The minerals council used the conference to launch a campaign that calls for the abolition of the taxpayer-funded Net Zero Commission.
The commission has been vocal in its opposition to the HVO extension and other mining projects.
Council chief executive Stephen Galilee described the body as an "anti-mining activist outfit masquerading as a government agency."
"Since its inception the Net Zero Commission has been obsessed with attacking the NSW coal sector, regardless of the impact on the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of miners and their families," Mr Galilee said.
