Inside the One Nation capital of Australia

There are more ‘for lease’ signs than open doors, and if you’re looking for a coffee, be prepared to have to hunt it down.

Cessnock is situated in the Hunter Region and is well known for its proximity to some of the nation’s greatest vineyards.

Home to just under 70,000 residents, many are beyond fourth-generation landowners who take great pride in their agrarian duties and livelihood.

But as I arrive in the town, I notice that activity is few and far between.

It’s quiet, and everyone moves at a slow pace – not one that indicates relaxation, but exhaustion.

The first thing I see as I pass the large Cessnock sign upon entry is a rundown sports field with its fencing collapsing inward.

Behind the local Coles, a pile of charred rubbish cools down after being set on fire the night before.

But in this small pocket of regional NSW, something is shifting below the surface.

The region is well-known for its proximity to some of the best vineyards in the country.

At the last federal election, voters swung hard toward Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party, turning the Labor stronghold – held since 1910 – into a marginal seat.

On paper, the region has everything it needs: schools, a hospital, vineyards, vast paddocks, some cracker pubs and Australia’s largest mines.

But locals say they’ve never seen it worse.

Like most of the country, the Hunter Region is facing a deepening housing crisis, with high rates of homelessness and extreme rental and mortgage stress.

Over 81 per cent of renters and 61 per cent of mortgage holders are experiencing acute financial stress, with average incomes often lower than in our cities.

An estimated 500 people are homeless while 6 per cent of all households require social housing where wait times stretch up to 10 years.

Over half of residents go without their prescribed medication, while 45 per cent forego meals.

On top of this, the region remains glued to coal, producing almost 70 per cent of the supply that powers NSW.

Here, mining is more than a paycheck. It is a way of life ingrained in generations of people who struggle to imagine a world without it.

Support for One Nation across the country has surged to 23 per cent of the primary vote. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

As Australia makes its push for renewables, many of these people feel fear at the prospect of losing mining jobs, unsure of how they would support their families if they were forced out of it.

As I strolled the streets with my cameraman, we set out to uncover why this region had suddenly shifted its political ideologies, and whether locals believed that a change in leadership would resurrect their town.

Locals say it ‘can’t get any worse’

Former resident and Cessnock government employee Matt* was on the way to help his friend close down his local business when he stopped to chat, saying that he didn’t believe enough was being done to help the region through its crises.

“The amount of businesses and shopfronts you see for lease is horrendous,” he said.

“I don’t believe the government is doing enough.

“If Pauline watches this, I’m happy to be part of her party. I like what she does for the Australian people and I like her policies.

“I’m an Australian through and through and it’s hard for me to find a house, so I couldn’t imagine what it’s like for the people who have immigrated into Australia to find houses.”

Local woman Lucy* said she was a single mother of two teenage boys who’s struggling to put food on the table most days.

“Life is not getting easier for me,” she said.

“I feel like I’m penny-pinching for every dollar and can’t keep up with the bills.”

This former vineyard worker said he believed Pauline Hanson is a racist with a simplistic message.

Like many of her neighbours, Lucy said she wished elected officials were “listening to the people more” and said she was willing to give One Nation “a try” at the next election.

Former resident Patrick* grew up in Newcastle and used to work on the vineyards, but has since made the move to Victoria.

He still visits often, as many connections remain firmly planted in the community.

“The place has completely gone downhill,” he said.

“There are far too many homeless people around. I have nothing against them but it makes the place look s**t.

“There are people living in camping areas and in the war memorial and the police aren’t doing anything.”

Patrick said he receives a fortnightly jobseeker payment of around $800, $450 of which goes straight to rent.

“After that I’m only left with $200-$300 a fortnight,” he said.

But despite the slim margin he’s left with, he insists Pauline Hanson won’t be the one to change that.

“I don’t think One Nation will ever be able to achieve anything,” he said.

“Right from day one, Pauline has been a racist and their message is simplistic.”

Across town, the perspective shifts again, to a sixth generation landowner who feels restricted by the current government.

“To be perfectly blunt, it can’t get any worse,” said Bill*.

“I think the general milieu occurs because people aren’t given the freedom to make their own choices.

Others, are sixth generation landowners who believe there is too much government overreach in the region.

“Regrettably, the current government is providing what I regard as a nanny state. They’d do a lot better to let the businesses in the community have a crack.

“Reduce the red tape, cut back some of the taxation and let people have a go. They’d do a far better job than a government of whatever persuasion; Liberal, Labor or our friend Pauline.

“Change is not up to any one party, people should be given the opportunity to dictate what happens in their own lives.”

Like many others, Bill believes a One Nation candidate could be a “good fit” for their community.

“I think it’s a good thing, it’d be a disrupter,” he said.

“Regrettably, Cessnock is a Labor town and the only time we seem to do any better is when the incumbent gets tossed out.”

Meeting the Hunter’s ‘next successor’

Following my journey around the streets, I ventured out to the beautiful Four Pines vineyard, just 20 minutes from the town centre.

With rolling hills, a sun-drenched lake, and of course, great beer – it felt like the perfect place for a MAFS dinner party.

It was also the perfect place to meet up with One Nation candidate Stuart Bonds, who is widely believed to be the region’s successor.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect when meeting Stuart.

I have my thoughts about Pauline Hanson along with the rest of the country, and because of this I wasn’t sure we would understand each other.

But I’ll put my hand up and say I was wrong.

Stuart has lived in the region since he was 19 and owns a farm with some cattle about an hour away from Cessnock.

He has two little girls and a wife and has been a mining mechanic his entire life.

Stuart Bonds entered politics in 2018 amid fear that his job in the coal mines would become non-existent. Picture: News.com.au

His days start at 3:30am and often don’t end until 5:00pm, something he says isn’t uncommon in the job.

The 39-year-old entered politics in 2018 and has found a deep passion for it since.

“It started when Bill Shorten was driving around in his big red bus saying he was going to smooth transition us out of our jobs,” he said.

“I took particular offence to that.

“I was also unhappy that our union, formerly CMFEU now MEU, was taking our membership money and funnelling it into a political party that was trying to shut down our industry.”

Stuart sought out a number of political parties who “didn’t want to help” before deciding to run with One Nation.

“In 2019, we got 22 per cent of the vote and since then it’s been a hotbed of support. We got the two party preference at the last election, so we’ve got a good support base here in the Hunter,” he said.

“One Nation has the policies for this. They’ve always been strong on burning their own coal in their own country.

“We export our coal to other countries and as far as I’m aware, we burn it into the same atmosphere as everywhere else.

“Why can they burn our coal in China, Korea and Japan but we can’t burn it here? It’s never made any sense to me or the people working here. It’s all right to export it but we can’t burn it.”

Stuart also described receiving emotional phone calls from farmers who feel they are “losing control of their land.”

“I’m getting constant phone calls from people in tears saying that they’ve got these energy companies wanting to run transmission lines through their blocks.

“Another guy just bought a brand new house and is being told a million solar panels are being put in across the road.

“People don’t know this is happening. They would be disgusted.”

After Pauline Hanson’s multiple burqa stunts and reprehensible comments that “there are no good Muslims”, I wondered whether Stuart considered himself or the party racist.

He staunchly denied this accusation.

The 39-year-old is a hot contender to take over the Labor stronghold. Picture: Instagram/stuartbondsforhunter

“There are a lot of people in our party who are from other countries. They’ve come over to Australia and they don’t want this country to turn into their country at home,” he said.

“This is Australia, like it or not. This is our country and once you fundamentally change the demographics of it, it won’t be Australia anymore.

“It’s the culture that makes a country. We would like to preserve this country for our kids and for the people that come over here for a better life. How can you expect people to leave all their rubbish at the door and just mingle?

“Our policy is not zero; it’s reducing it until our infrastructure catches up. Instead of building houses once people get here, why don’t we work out how many free houses we have so that people actually have places to move?”

Like those I spoke to on the street, Stuart is increasingly concerned about government overreach, particularly in rural areas.

“There’s a lot of MPs that are voting on things that will impact rural areas when they’ve never even been there. The concentration of seats in the city is a real problem,” he said.

“When farmers call their local MPs for solutions they get nothing, or a ‘we’ll call you back’, or just no response at all.

“It’s an insult that we’re looked down upon because we live out here in the bush.”

One Nation aligned with the Greens on major law change

Last month, parliament passed the toughest federal hate speech laws in Australian history in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

The legislation primarily aims to tackle “hate groups” and categorises a hate crime as causing serious harm to a person, causing serious damage to property, causing a person’s death, endangering a person’s life, or creating a serious risk to the health or safety of a section of the public.

The government’s new hate speech laws have drawn sharp criticism from a number of parties.

It passed with Liberal Party support, though the Nationals, Greens and One Nation voted against it, citing various concerns about free speech.

Stuart believes the laws are “terrible legislation” set up to be misused by “bad players.”

“People should consider what could happen if their worst enemy were to get hold of it,” he said.

“The law is retrospective, meaning people could face consequences for things they said previously on the internet.”

To back this up, Stuart used an example from the Soviet Union where soldiers were arrested upon returning from war after complaining about food and treatment in letters home.

from war after complaining about food and treatment in letters home.

“I’m an advocate for free speech. Current laws should exist around inciting violence which is a necessary restriction,” he said.

He also referred to the disbandment of the National Socialist Network following the laws, saying it’s concerning that these people are now “underground.”

Where will the One Nation capital go from here?

After my visit, one thing is clear: this region is hurting.

Families and workers are struggling, businesses are on the brink of collapse, and people are desperate for a hand up.

Many of them, who have long aligned themselves with Labor, now feel that One Nation is their only chance to revive their towns and lives.

It may be the end of an era for the Hunter, one that will see Labor’s 116-year reign come to a fiery end.