Editing Hunter Region (section)

== Industries ==
The main industries in the Hunter Region are [[coal mining in Australia|coal mining]], manufacturing, agriculture, [[viticulture]] and wine making, tourism, horse breeding, electricity production, dairy farming and beef cattle farming, and associated service industries. The Hunter Region is one of Australia's most famous wine-growing regions, known for both its red and white wine varieties.

=== Coal mining ===
[[File:Hunter Valley Ravensworth open-cut coal mining operations.jpg|thumb|Ravensworth open-cut coal mining operations run by [[Glencore]]]]
[[File:Hunter Valley coal operations.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Hunter Valley coal operations, including several mines and power plants]]

The most important economic activity in the valley is coal mining (through businesses such as [[Rio Tinto (corporation)|Rio Tinto]] and [[BHP]]), mostly for export. The [[Port of Newcastle]] is the world's largest export facility for coal, most of which is brought to the port by [[Hunter Valley Coal Chain#Rail infrastructure|rail]]. Coal ships are often seen off the coast of Newcastle.

=== Electricity generation ===
[[Electricity generation]] at the [[Eraring Power Station|Eraring]], [[Bayswater Power Station|Bayswater]], [[Liddell Power Station|Liddell]], [[Munmorah Power Station|Munmorah]], [[Redbank Power Station|Redbank]] and [[Vales Point Power Station|Vales Point]] coal-fired power stations is a major industry of the region.

=== Horse breeding ===
The Hunter Valley is Australia's main region for the breeding and rearing of [[Thoroughbred]] horses and most of the country's best racehorses.<ref name="Barrie">Barrie, Douglas M., The Australian Bloodhorse, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1956</ref><ref name="Dr Collins">Thomas, Ray, Expanding coal mining in Hunter Valley threatens breeding industry and autumn racing revamp, [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]], 15 August 2013</ref> The Upper Hunter area around [[Scone, New South Wales|Scone]] is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world.

=== Tourism ===
Commonly known as "Wine Country",<ref>{{cite web |last=Magro |first=Rebecca |title=The Weekender: Hunter Valley, New South Wales – Hunter and Bligh |url=https://www.hunterandbligh.com.au/travel/hunter-valley-nsw-the-weekender/ |website=Hunter and Bligh |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-date=25 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925124447/https://www.hunterandbligh.com.au/travel/hunter-valley-nsw-the-weekender/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Hunter Valley is a major tourist destination in New South Wales and is the 6th most visited place in Australia attracting more than 2.5 million people annually. There are regular events held in the Hunter for visitors, including the Hunter Valley Steam Trains running the first three Sundays of each month and regular scenic cruises on the Hunter River and [[Lake Macquarie (New South Wales)|Lake Macquarie]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/hunter |title=Hunter Valley |publisher=VisitNSW.com |access-date=18 November 2012 |archive-date=3 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103070822/http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/hunter |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.tourism.nsw.gov.au/Sites/SiteID6/objLib93/The-Hunter-YE-Jun-12.pdf |title=Travel to The Hunter |date=June 2012 |publisher=Destination NSW |access-date=18 November 2012 |archive-date=21 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421112834/http://archive.tourism.nsw.gov.au/Sites/SiteID6/objLib93/The-Hunter-YE-Jun-12.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Wine production ===
{{Main|Hunter Valley wine}}

[[File:Cows and Hunter Valley Vineyard (9679974515).jpg|thumb|A Hunter Valley vineyard]]

The Hunter Valley Wine Zone [[Australian Geographical Indication]] was registered on 1 May 1996 and is approximately the entire Hunter River catchment. It contains only one named wine region, Hunter.<ref name="Hunter">{{cite web |url=http://www.wineaustralia.com/en/Production%20and%20Exporting/Register%20of%20Protected%20GIs%20and%20Other%20Terms/Geographical%20Indications/New%20South%20Wales/Hunter%20Valley/Hunter.aspx |title=Hunter |publisher=[[Wine Australia]] |year=2015 |access-date=5 November 2015 |archive-date=30 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130041334/http://www.wineaustralia.com/en/Production%20and%20Exporting/Register%20of%20Protected%20GIs%20and%20Other%20Terms/Geographical%20Indications/New%20South%20Wales/Hunter%20Valley/Hunter.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> The Hunter Wine Region Australian Geographical Indication was declared on 18 March 1997. It is not as large as the Hunter Valley zone, but includes most of the significant vineyards. It does not extend east of the [[Pacific Highway (Australia)|Pacific Highway]].

Some of the oldest vines in the Hunter Valley were planted in 1924 around the village of Fordwich. [[Pokolbin, New South Wales|Pokolbin]], located in the "Lower Hunter Valley", is the centre of the [[Hunter Valley wine]] country, which claims to be Australia's oldest wine region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/hunter |title=Hunter Valley |website=Visit NSW |date=16 May 2017 |access-date=16 May 2017 |archive-date=8 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508211819/http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/hunter |url-status=live }}</ref> It is located between the towns of [[Cessnock, New South Wales|Cessnock]] and [[Branxton, New South Wales|Branxton]], about {{Convert|50|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} west of Newcastle. The wine country is primarily located within the [[City of Cessnock|Cessnock]] and [[Singleton Council|Singleton]] LGAs. Its proximity to Sydney has been an influence on the area's investments in wine production and its emergence as a tourist destination. The Broke Fordwich area is located along the Hunter River tributary of the [[Wollombi Brook]] near the suburb of Pokolbin and was founded in 1830 by Major [[Thomas Mitchell (explorer)|Thomas Mitchell]] who named the region after his fellow [[Napoleonic War]] veteran Sir [[Charles Broke-Vere]].

Much of the rolling countryside around Pokolbin is under vine and has a large number of [[vineyard]]s, restaurants, shops, golf courses and country guesthouses. Other parts of the valley including the [[Wollombi, New South Wales|Wollombi Valley]] and [[Broke Fordwich]] subregion are also well known for wine, along with the [[Hunter Valley wine#Upper Hunter Valley|Upper Hunter Valley]]. The main town in the Upper Hunter Valley subregion is [[Muswellbrook]].