Upper Hunter by-election stirs up age old conflict between mining and agriculture

Candidates face a delicate juggling act to win the crucial Upper Hunter by-election last this month.

Mining is arguably the engine room of the Upper Hunter and will be front and centre in the May 22 by-election — but not without some trade-off.

In an electorate of more than 55,000 people, 12,700 are employed directly by the mines and while it props up many other industries, it doesn’t always happily co-exist with others.

Four years ago, Scott Boyton decided to expand his business to the Upper Hunter and take advantage of the state’s biggest mining workforce.

His safety bolts, fasteners and equipment company services a range of industries, but the mining sector’s prominence attracted him to Muswellbrook.

“Mining is obviously a large…