Local communities and national grassroots organisations fighting against new and expanding coal mines condemn the decision by the Albanese Government to approve four new massive coal expansions today.
Today’s approvals bring the total coal projects the Albanese Government has approved since elected to 11, after it approved three in September.
Today’s approvals were Caval Ridge, Lake Vermont Meadowbrook, and Vulcan South in Central QLD, and Boggabri in NSW.
Vulcan South's approval comes despite the fact its owner, Vitrinite was under federal investigation for habitat clearing and mining at the site while the proposal was undergoing assessment.
Lock the Gate Alliance National Coordinator Carmel Flint said:
“These latest three coal mine approvals will not only damage land, water and nature but will also put all Australians at risk of more extreme weather caused by climate change.
“The Albanese Government should be backing Aussies as we prepare to face another long hot summer, with extreme heatwaves and worsening bushfires, not waving through more coal approvals for multinational mining corporations who have no stake in our future.
“The government has turned its back on reforms to environment laws to make sure climate impacts were properly assessed, and ignored the Federal Court who said our laws were not up to scratch to deal with climate change.
“They’ve failed us all, in order to smooth the path for mining giants, and the real world consequences for all Australians could not be more severe."
Boggabri farmer Sally Hunter, who lives near Idemitsu’s Boggabri coal mine, said:
“The mining and burning of fossil fuels is causing more extreme weather and making farming increasingly difficult. Our farm has gone through a quick succession of droughts and floods, making earning a living a real challenge.
“Idemitsu’s Boggabri coal mine expansion will not only fuel the climate crisis, it will also have a devastating impact locally. It will use 600 million litres of water each year. Only last year, Idemitsu was fined for stealing more than one billion litres of water during a drought.
“This company has already tarnished its reputation locally, and it’s a slap in the face to locals that the Albanese Government has rewarded Idemitsu for its water theft.”
Lock the Gate Alliance Central Queensland Coordinator Claire Gronow said, “Central Queensland is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather, and this is set to worsen as the climate crisis intensifies. The Albanese Government's approval of new coal projects throws fuel on this already raging fire.
“These coal expansions come at a massive expense to the wider Queensland community. Climate change-driven extreme weather events are already costing Queenslanders billions in massive cleanup bills, skyrocketing insurance premiums, and damage to the lucrative Great Barrier Reef tourism industry, not to mention the lives already lost.
“What’s urgently needed from the Albanese Government is accelerated economic diversification and funding to support workers and create new industries in coal-affected communities.”
ENDS