Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland (EnvA) is calling on the Federal Government to reject the proposed Middlemount Coal Mine Extension Project, warning it would destroy more endangered species habitat, worsen water quality, and undermine Australia’s climate commitments.
The proposal, lodged by Middlemount Coal Pty Ltd, seeks federal approval to expand the existing Middlemount Coal Mine southward, adding an additional 250 hectares of disturbance and extending operations until 2044.
EnvA says the project’s preliminary documentation is outdated, incomplete, and fails to meet the legal requirements for meaningful public consultation under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
EnvA Director, Dr Coral Rowston said:
“The documentation is riddled with gaps, outdated data, and misleading information about state approvals.”
“It doesn’t allow the public or the Minister to properly assess the full environmental consequences of this expansion.”
The mine extension would clear the habitat of multiple threatened species and ecological communities – including 183ha of koala habitat and 82ha of greater glider habitat.
EnvA says the proposal continues a pattern of incremental habitat destruction across Central Queensland’s heavily degraded landscapes. The Mackenzie River catchment has already lost around 73% of its original vegetation, leaving remaining patches critical for survival of threatened species.
“Every hectare of koala and greater glider habitat that remains in Central Queensland matters,” Dr Rowston said.
“To approve more clearing for coal expansion would fly in the face of Australia’s biodiversity and climate goals.”
The group also raised concerns about plans to divert Roper Creek, a waterway supporting high-quality riparian vegetation and critical wildlife corridors. The diversion and associated flood levee works, they say, would alter natural flow regimes, increase erosion, and fragment habitat along the creek.
EnvA further criticised the lack of assessment of greenhouse gas emissions, despite the mine’s potential to produce over 36 million tonnes of carbon pollution from burning an additional 112 million tonnes of coal.
“There is no credible justification for extending coal mining to 2044 in a rapidly changing global energy market.
“Coal prices are falling, export demand is weakening, and the environmental costs are simply too high.”
The group also questioned the credibility of proposed biodiversity offsets, which were not provided with the public documentation.
“Offsets have failed to prevent the ongoing decline of Queensland’s threatened species for more than a decade.
“Even the Federal Environment Minister has acknowledged that current offset arrangements are broken.”
EnvA has urged the Minister for the Environment to refuse the Middlemount Coal Mine Extension Project on the grounds of unacceptable impacts to threatened species, water quality, and climate.
“This project cannot be justified environmentally, socially, or economically,” Dr Rowston said.
“The only responsible decision is to stop the expansion and focus on supporting regional communities through a fair energy transition.”
Read EnvA’s submission here.
EnvA - CQ 