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Paper short abstract

This thesis examines how community action groups in Australia's Hunter Valley utilise justice themes to pursue a just coal transition. It reveals advocacy tensions, institutional resistance and weak Indigenous recognition, contributing insights for globally just and participatory energy transitions.

Paper long abstract

This thesis critically examines how community action groups employ justice frameworks to advocate for a ‘just’ transition from coal in Australia's Hunter Valley. Drawing on a qualitative framework analysis of publicly accessible social media content and commissioned policy reports, the study investigates how two local community groups, Hunter Renewal and Lock the Gate Alliance, operationalise distributive, procedural, recognitional, and restorative justice in their advocacy.

Findings reveal distinct advocacy strategies, where Hunter Renewal prioritises distributive (economic) justice and community participation. Conversely, Lock the Gate employs a broader, accountability-driven approach, emphasising procedural transparency and ecological restoration. However, both groups inadequately integrate recognitional justice, especially concerning Indigenous cultural recognition, highlighting a critical gap informed by recognitional justice theories, as well as Indigenous environmental justice perspectives.

Moreover, despite shaping public discourse effectively, Hunter Renewal experiences procedural tokenism, limiting genuine community empowerment, while Lock the Gate encounters significant institutional resistance consistent with advocacy coalition frameworks.

This research concludes that effective advocacy for a truly just transition requires deeper integration of recognitional justice through explicit inclusion of Indigenous and marginalised community perspectives, genuine co-design processes beyond tokenistic consultation, and strategic coalition-building to counter institutional resistance. These insights provide crucial implications for policy, advocacy strategies, and future just transition efforts globally.