Greens MP Lee Rhiannon led the protest at 11am, demanding the State Government expand its commitment to investigate a cancer cluster identified in Singleton and grant an extensive population health study in the region.

The potential cancer cluster was revealed in reports in The Herald and the ABC’s Four Corners that five cases had been detected in families living close together.

Ms Rhiannon said the call for a comprehensive study had landed on deaf ears for at least a decade.

‘‘The lack of action by the government is certainly making people very angry and many locals really do link it with the powers of the mining companies,’’ she said.

Lyn MacBain spoke at the rally, telling how asthma had debilitated her health for years.

‘‘Our fight is with the government,’’ she said.

‘‘It starts to become very emotional when the people who said they would help us when they got into power have chosen to neglect us.’’

Ms Rhiannon and four community members met with a member of Ms McKay’s office following the meeting.

Ms McKay was unable to attend due to ministerial meetings in Sydney.

‘‘I am acutely aware of the issues and concerns the residents of Muswellbrook and Singleton have regarding the potential impact of coal mining on the region,’’ she said in a statement.

‘‘I want to be absolutely clear that I take the concerns of the Singleton Shire Healthy Environment Group, and indeed the wider community, very seriously and I will work with them and my Cabinet Colleagues to move forward on these issues.’’