A new report dramatically predicts that early action to diversify the economy and invest in regional development could ensure the Hunter Valley avoids the worst economic impacts of a decline in coal mining as the world acts on climate change.

The report, Weathering the storm: The case for transformation in the Hunter Valley, was written by researchers at the University of Western Sydney and commissioned by Lock the Gate.

November 04, 2018: A new report released by Lock the Gate estimates more than 1,200 new jobs could be generated in NSW if the state government was to implement mandatory progressive rehabilitation targets.

The Mind the Gap: how fixing mine rehabilitation shortfalls could fuel jobs growth in the Hunter Valley report exposes the major rehabilitation deficit plaguing NSW, which has left gaping holes in prime agricultural land in the Hunter Valley.

May 2018: Narrabri is the proposed location of a highly controversial coal seam gas proposal by Santos, but research reveals that in comparison to Santos’ gasfield, renewable energy could deliver more numerous and more lasting jobs.

This groundbreaking research was undertaken by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney.

May 2018: Proposed legislative reforms governing mine rehabilitation in Queensland have the potential to stimulate billions of dollars in additional economic activity in Central Queensland and beyond.

A new report shows that forcing mining companies to rehabilitate their mine sites could create at least 4,000 new jobs in north and central Queensland.

Read and download the full report here.

New coal plans for NSW are larger than Adani's monstrous Queensland mine.

There are now 11 contested new coal projects proposed in New South Wales. These developments will mine more coal and take up more land and water than Adani’s controversial coal mine in Central Queensland.

Read more about the combined impact of the 11 coal mines proposed for NSW here.

UPDATE: since publishing this report some mines have been approved and moved to construction; one has been stopped; other new projects are being assessed. Go here >> for a 2019 update revealing 14 coal projects in NSW that are larger than Adani's mega mine

The main chemical component of coal seam gas (CSG) is methane. Methane is also a powerful greenhouse gas. As a chemical, methane is odourless, colourless, and invisible to the naked eye.

These characteristics mean that methane released during industry gasfield operations can be readily overlooked, ignored, or hidden. This report describes video recording methane emissions in the Queensland CSG fields using a FLIR GF-­‐320 infrared video camera.

Download the Report Here.

A new report released today by the Australian-German Climate and Energy College debunks the myth of a gas shortage in Australia and reveals that renewable energy and storage is cheaper than gas.

This research finds that although a although a “gas-price crisis” exists in eastern-Australia, a gas-supply shortfall is very unlikely to occur. It also finds that the former gas “buyer’s market” that prevailed in eastern-Australia has shifted to become a “seller’s market”. 

Download the full report here.

Will the Adani Carmichael Coal mine meet mining industry rehabilitation standards?

The Carmichael coal mine will have a disturbance footprint of 28,000 hectares, permanently altering the landscape, leaving behind extensive waste dumps that are at risk of failing in the long term alongside final voids that are predicted to drain adjoining groundwater permanently.

This research note assesses the proposed rehabilitation strategies for the Adani mine.

Toxic Time-Bomb or Employment Opportunity?

Queensland has 15,300 abandoned mines. 317 of these are classified as giant, very large or large, and many are having serious environmental and human health impacts locally. The number of abandoned mines continues to grow.

This report looks at the issue of abandoned mines in Queensland and recommends ways to deal with this issue.

Mine Rehabilitation and Closure Cost: A Hidden Business Risk

The accuracy of mine closure and rehabilitation liabilities can have a material impact on the valuation of a mining company. Closing the current generation of very large open pit operations across various commodities will certainly be in the order of hundreds of millions and in many cases be in excess of a billion dollars for a single asset.

Read the full report here.