This is the average received since three Hunter compliance officers were put in place by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure a year ago.

Upper Hunter MP George Souris has been a strong supporter of their work. “The ability of the office to immediately attend to complaints is of great benefit to the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, three Upper Hunter mines are among the first in the state to take part in a NSW pollution cutting scheme. Mount Arthur, Liddell and Bengalla were among nine mines in NSW put on legally binding Pollution Reduction Programs in August.

All 68 coal mine in NSW will be part of the government’s Dust Stop program by April next year.

“By undertaking measures like preventing wind erosion from exposed areas, improved suppression of dust on coal haul roads and strict monitoring of weather conditions before blasting, coalmines could reduce their particle emissions by almost 50 per cent,” NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker said when Dust Stop was launched.

Mount Arthur, Liddell and Bengalla must report to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage on their pollution reduction activities in early 2012.

Mt Arthur Coal already monitors air quality data and has a comprehensive dust management program, a spokeswoman for BHP Billiton said.

“Mt Arthur Coal will engage an independent air quality specialist to ensure the Best Practice Management Assessment and Report satisfies the needs of the [government] guidelines.”

“Mt Arthur Coal was the first mine in the Hunter Valley to successfully trial aerial seeding, a temporary form of rehabilitation to control windblown dust from exposed material,” she said.