Coal approvals criticised
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The Albanese government’s coal mine extensions have ignited a fiery climate controversy.
The federal government has approved extensions for three coal mines in New South Wales, sparking significant debate over the country’s climate policies.
On Tuesday, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek signed off on the expansion of coal mining operations in the Hunter Valley and the state’s north-west.
The approvals pertain to Whitehaven Coal’s Narrabri underground mine, Mach Energy’s Mount Pleasant optimisation project, and Ashton Coal’s Ravensworth mine.
Ms Plibersek defended the decision, saying that it complies with Australia's environmental laws.
“The Albanese government has to make decisions in accordance with the facts and the national environmental law, that's what happened on every project and that's what's happened here,” she said in a statement.
She noted that these were not new projects but extensions of existing ones, emphasising the government's commitment to reviewing projects on a “case-by-case basis”.
Despite government assurances, the approvals have faced criticism from climate groups and political leaders.
The extensions are expected to comply with the government's safeguard mechanism, which aims to reduce emissions from large industrial sites.
However, critics argue that the expansion undermines Australia's efforts to tackle climate change.
Greens leader Adam Bandt labelled the decision as “a betrayal of our environment, the science and everyone who voted for climate action”.
Environmental advocates echoed these concerns.
Gavan McFadzean, climate program manager at the Australian Conservation Foundation, calling the approvals “grossly irresponsible”.
He cited scientific and international calls for halting new coal and gas projects, warning of the consequences for Australians affected by climate change.
The legal and environmental significance of the decision is underscored by the history of the projects.
The Narrabri and Mount Pleasant expansions were at the centre of a lengthy legal battle led by the Environment Council of Central Queensland (ECoCeQ).
The group, along with legal representation from Environmental Justice Australia, had challenged Minister Plibersek’s refusal to reconsider the environmental impacts of these coal mines in the ‘Living Wonders’ court cases.
Despite their efforts, the Federal Court dismissed the appeal in May 2024.
Mount Pleasant is set to become Australia's largest coal mine, significantly expanding its open-cut operations and extending production until 2048.
The Narrabri mine extension will allow operations to continue until 2044, with plans to extract an additional 82 million tonnes of coal, which could contribute 259 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
These expansions are viewed by environmental groups as exacerbating the climate crisis.
The controversy surrounding these approvals also highlights the stalled progress of the government's ‘Nature Positive’ legislation, which seeks to reform Australia’s environment laws.
The legislation remains blocked in the Senate, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ruling out changes that would require the climate impacts of fossil fuel projects to be part of the approval process.