Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland (EnvA) has called on the Federal Environment Minister to refuse the Washpool Coking Coal Bulk Sample Project, warning it poses unacceptable risks to threatened species, water resources and the wider Fitzroy River and Great Barrier Reef catchment.
The project, proposed by Magnetic South Pty Ltd and located approximately 12.5 kilometres north-west of Blackwater, would extract up to 992,000 tonnes of coal as a “bulk sample” from an area that EnvA says is part of a much larger, staged development intended to pave the way for a full-scale greenfield coal mine.
EnvA Director, Dr Coral Rowston said:
“Approving this so-called ‘bulk sample’ would effectively open the door to a much larger coal project covering thousands of hectares.
“This is a textbook example of project staging, where a small initial approval is used to make a far bigger and more damaging development seem inevitable.”
EnvA’s submission to the Federal Government argues the project will have clearly unacceptable impacts on matters of national environmental significance, particularly threatened species and water resources, and should either be refused outright or assessed as a controlled action through a full Environmental Impact Statement process.
According to surveys submitted by the proponent, the project area and surrounding landscape provide habitat for a range of nationally listed threatened and migratory species, including the critically endangered white-throated snapping turtle, endangered koalas and greater gliders, and the endangered Brigalow ecological community.
“The Mackenzie River, which runs just downstream of the project area, is part of the Fitzroy Basin — the largest catchment flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.
“Any degradation of water quality or changes to flow in this system don’t just affect local landholders, they have downstream consequences for communities, agriculture and the Reef itself.
“The white-throated snapping turtle lives in the section of the Mackenzie River. This turtle is already critical endangered – this coal proposal will certainly not help their recovery or conservation status,” said Dr Rowston.
EnvA also raised concerns about the Magnetic South’s environmental compliance history, noting the existence of a current Direction Notice that remains unresolved.
“Before any approval is even contemplated, the Minister must consider whether this company is a suitable operator and whether the public can have confidence that environmental conditions will be properly met.
“Magnetic South has unresolved directions notices associated with its Gemini Coal Project which is also impacting on endangered species.”
EnvA is urging the Federal Government to treat the proposal as part of a larger, staged coal development and require a comprehensive, transparent assessment of all direct, indirect and cumulative impacts.
“Once habitat is cleared and waterways are altered, those impacts cannot simply be undone.
“The safest and most responsible decision is to refuse this project and protect Central Queensland’s environment for future generations.”
EnvA - CQ 