The Queensland government’s approval of the Winchester South coal mine is a loss for communities, koalas and climate

The Queensland Government has just approved the Winchester South coal mine project near Moranbah here in Central Queensland.

Protecting our water, threatened species and our climate should be top priorities for our community, but the Queensland Government is leaving it up to the Australian Government to address these social and environmental impacts.

Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland (EnvA) has serious concerns about the Winchester South coal mine approval including: 

• Climate Change: This project will release over  583 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – this is more than the entire annual GHG emissions of Australia reported last year
• The clearing of up to 2000ha of habitat for threatened species including our iconic koalas and greater gliders, both of which are already endangered species.
• The proposed rehabilitation which will leave three huge mine voids and will not replace threatened species habitat.

Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland Director Dr Coral Rowston said it was contradictory for the Queensland Government to approve a new greenfield coal mine so soon after announcing new carbon emission reduction targets.

“The Winchester South coal mine is completely contradictory to Queensland’s carbon emissions reduction target and the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan. It also poses unacceptable threats to ecosystems and Queenslander’s human rights.

“The Queensland Miles Government can reduce the state’s emissions, or it can have new coal mines. It can’t have both.

“Central Queensland can have healthy ecosystems home to much loved species like koalas, greater gliders, and the Australian Painted Snipe, or the government can allow new coal mines to clear their habitats. It can’t have both.

“Let’s hope Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek can fix the Miles Government’s poor decision making, and reject this koala killing, climate destroying coal mine.”

“The International Energy Agency says there is enough metallurgical coal already in production to meet demand, and that the world no longer needs new coal mines – neither for power generation nor steel making. Instead of digging in behind polluting technologies of the past, the Queensland Government should be putting all its energy into clean, renewable alternatives.”