Cessnock, Australia

Cessnock, found in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia, is a town and Local Government Area. It was a once prosperous mining town; the local area was known as the Coalfields. However, due to mine closures during the 20th century, the city of some 25,000 people suffers from a relatively high crime rate, and a well above-average unemployment figure, compared with local areas, such as Singleton and Muswellbrook. The town also suffers from a relatively poor reputation in New South Wales due to this and the general ugliness of the town.

Most employment comes from the local port city of Newcastle, the city of Maitland and in services industries in the local council area, which comprises of many small towns, such as Kurri Kurri, Weston, Neath, Abernethy, Kearsley, and Pokolbin.

Local council action in the working-class city is seen as ineffective, especially in dealing with the poor conditions of local roadways. However, Green groups herald the city as modern and efficient, with one of the first recycling programs for waste disposal in the state.

During the 1990s, local government helped local tourism operators start to sell themselves to the affluent of Sydney. This created a boom for property in the surrounding area of Polkobin, one of Australia's biggest wine producers. Currently, ex-New South Wales government minister for transport, Mr Michael Costa, lives in the area.

There are two public high schools in Cessnock, Cessnock High School and Mount View High School.

A new freeway linking the New England Highway at Branxton and the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway at West Wallsend is planned to be built in the near future, which will bypass Cessnock. Less traffic will take pressure off the local roads and provide easier access to Pokolbin from Sydney and Newcastle.