A groundbreaking new report, ‘Koalas or coal mines, how the federal government can help save Australia’s most iconic species’ reveals that proposed new and expanding coal mines in NSW and Queensland will clear thousands of hectares of endangered koala habitat.
The report released by the Koalas Not Coal Alliance, an alliance made up of eight climate and conservation groups including Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland, covers 26 proposed coal mining projects. If all the proposed coal mines are approved by the federal government, they will clear a combined total of 11,644 hectares of koala habitat. That’s around 41 times the size of Sydney’s CBD or the entire Livingstone Shire Council area.
The report estimates that the 26 proposed coal mines planning to clear koala habitat would be also be responsible for at least 8.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more climate pollution than Australia emitted over the last decade (approximately 5.195 billion tonnes of CO₂).
The federal government’s National Recovery plan for the koala predicts that by 2030 more than 20% of koala habitat is likely to be impacted by climate change, and the loss of optimal habitat because of climate change may outpace losses from land use change within the next decade. However, dozens of new coal mines seeking to clear koala habitat and produce harmful climate pollution are seeking Minister Plibersek’s approval.
The report concludes that by protecting koalas from the direct habitat destruction of land clearing for coal mines the Albanese government can also protect koalas from climate change, by keeping coal in the ground and reducing climate pollution.
In light of the findings, the groups are calling on the federal government to use the current powers under the EPBC Act to reject all of the 26 proposed new coal mines and expansions, to safeguard the koala from extinction from habitat destruction, and devastating climate change.
Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland Director Dr Coral Rowston said”
“This new report highlights the perilous situation Australia’s endangered koalas are facing from the dual threats of habitat destruction and climate change when the Federal Government continue to approve new and expanding coal mines.
“The conservation status of the koala in Qld and NSW plummeted from Common, to Vulnerable, to Endangered in just the last 13 years. Extinction is not far off if government refuses to address the two biggest threats – deforestation and climate change.
“Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has pledged ‘no new extinctions’ but has failed to reject new coal mines which will clear vast areas of important koala habitat, despite the very real threat of koala extinction due to habitat destruction and climate change.
“Nineteen of the proposed coal mines covered in the report are here in the Bowen Basin. If they all get approved, over 10,800ha of koala habitat in Central Queensland will be destroyed and severe weather events and fires will further put pressure on our remaining koala populations.
“Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has the power to reject these disastrous new mines now. We call on her to protect our koalas and our environment and reject all coal mines that will impact on koalas.”
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