Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland (EnvA) is urging the Federal Government to refuse the approval of the Middlemount Coal Mine Extension Project, warning it would destroy endangered wildlife habitat, pollute waterways, and worsen climate change impacts in an already degraded region.
EnvA had previously made a submission on the preliminary documentation, but Middlemount Coal realised that not all the required documentation had provided and extended the consultation period. EnvA has reviewed the additional material and submitted its second submission based on the new information.
EnvA’s updated submission finds the company’s preliminary documentation remains incomplete, outdated and misleading, failing to meet the basic standards required under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
Director of EnvA, Dr Coral Rowston said:
“This proposal would bulldoze more than 250 hectares of bushland, including endangered brigalow and poplar box woodlands and critical habitat for koalas and greater gliders.
“It would divert Roper Creek, destroy riparian habitat, and generate over 36 million tonnes of greenhouse pollution — all to extend a coal mine that should be winding down, not expanding.”
The Project proposes to extend coal extraction until 2044 — seven years beyond the existing approval — and realign Roper Creek through the mine site to access new coal reserves.
EnvA says the company’s environmental documentation still assesses the koala and greater glider as “vulnerable”, even though both species have been listed as endangered since 2022.
“They’re using outdated data to downplay the impacts. This kind of corner-cutting assessment wouldn’t be acceptable anywhere else, and it certainly shouldn’t be acceptable in the Central Queensland’s dwindelling koala habitat.”
EnvA’s analysis also found that the proposed biodiversity offset area fails to meet Commonwealth offset requirements. Most of the land already supports threatened species, and parts overlap existing mining leases.
“Offsets are supposed to replace what’s lost — but this one doesn’t even come close.
“You can’t offset extinction.
The only responsible option is to refuse this project.”
EnvA warns that coal expansion across Central Queensland is pushing local ecosystems to breaking point, with over 40,000 hectares of koala habitat now sitting inside proposed coal leases across the region.
“We’re in the middle of an extinction and climate crisis” Dr Rowston said.
“Every new coal project takes us further in the wrong direction. The Federal Environment Minister must step up and say no.”
EnvA - CQ 