The Environment Council of Central Queensland (EcoCeQ) is taking action in the Federal Court to challenge Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s decision not to assess the risk of climate harm to Australia’s environment from two new coal proposals in New South Wales – the Narrabri and Mount Pleasant coal expansions.
Last month, Minister Plibersek rejected requests from EcoCeQ and their legal team from Environmental Justice Australia, to consider whether she needs to take into account climate impacts of new coal and gas projects on Australia’s protected wildlife and environments.
The Minister rejected the requests relevant to Whitehaven Coal’s Narrabri coal mine expansion and MACH Energy’s Mount Pleasant coal mine, allowing these projects to progress towards final approval. The Minister will not be able to give final approval to these projects until the Federal Court challenge is heard.
The court action comes after an ABC investigation revealed Whitehaven Coal’s Narrabri mine has been releasing three times more greenhouse gas emissions than it estimated it would when seeking approval.
Josh Creaser, spokesperson Move Beyond Coal says: “We strongly support the efforts of the Environment Council of Central Queensland to hold Minister Plibersek to account for refusing to consider the climate damage that would be caused by MACH energy’s Mount Pleasant coal mine and Whitehaven Coal’s Narrabri mine.”
“Whitehaven’s existing Narrabri coal mine has been exposed as a mega polluter emitting three times more greenhouse gas emissions than it said it would when seeking approval. Whitehaven’s planned expansion of this super emitting mine would make it the most polluting coal mine in Australia.”
“It is an absurd situation when our Environment Minister refuses to assess the biggest threat to our environment – climate change from the mining and burning of coal – when deciding whether to pour more fuel on the fire and green light more climate wrecking coal mines.”
“Minister Plibersek is refusing to acknowledge the link between polluting coal mines that wreck the climate and the harm climate change causes to Australia’s environmental icons like the koala, greater glider and Great Barrier Reef, which are teetering on the brink of extinction.”
“Minister Plibersek should be standing up for Australia’s environment by saying no to all new coal mines, instead she is pushing to approve more climate wrecking coal that will push our threatened wildlife and precious environments further towards extinction.
“The warnings from the IPCC, the United Nations and the International Energy Agency are clear: no new coal mines can proceed if we are to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. Minister Plibersek has already approved one coal mine since becoming Minister and her refusal to assess the climate harm caused by other mines is a worrying sign that she’s willing to turn her back on the science and Australia’s environment and approve more climate wrecking coal.”
