EnvA is calling on Queensland MPs to reject or substantially amend the Critical Minerals Bill, warning it could weaken community rights, expand ministerial powers, enable compulsory land acquisition and allow existing laws to be changed for individual projects.
Category Archives: Media releases and stories
Coal and gas can’t keep expanding while Australians carry the climate burden
EnvA is calling for stronger action to reduce emissions from Australia’s coal and gas sector, warning that continued fossil fuel expansion could undermine the nation’s 2035 emissions reduction target. EnvA is calling for stronger Safeguard Mechanism requirements, greater onsite emissions reductions, tighter limits on carbon credits and improved transparency around emissions.
EnvA questions the need for another Lake Vermont coal mine expansion
Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland has called on the Federal Government to refuse the proposed Lake Vermont Mockingbird Metallurgical Coal Project, arguing the proponent has failed to justify why another major mine expansion is needed when a separate project is already proposed to extend the life of the existing mine.
Linked coal mine proposals threaten Central Queensland’s environment
EnvA has called on the Federal Environment Minister to assess the linked Moranbah North and Grosvenor coal mine referrals together, warning that separate assessments risk understating their combined impacts on threatened species, water resources and greenhouse gas emissions. Coal extraction proposals must undergo rigorous environmental assessment.
Community group says Centurion LNG proposal is premature
EnvA has called for the proposed Centurion LNG Facility to be refused or deferred, arguing it is premature to approve infrastructure that depends on the proposed Centurion North Coal Development before that project has completed its State and Commonwealth environmental assessment.
EnvA calls for Gemini Rail Loop referral to be refused
EnvA has called on the Federal Environment Minister to refuse the proposed Gemini Rail Loop Project, arguing it is part of a larger staged coal mining development that has been improperly divided into separate referrals.
Threatened wildlife deserves better than piecemeal coal mine approvals
Australia’s last natural population of the endangered bridled nail-tail wallaby is once again under threat. EnvA has urged the Federal Environment Minister to refuse the Gemini Coal Mine Extension, warning it would impact threatened species while assessing only one component of a much larger mining development.
Enough is Enough: EnvA Urges Federal Minister to Reject the Washpool Coal Project
EnvA has called on the Federal Environment Minister to reject the proposed Washpool Coal Project, warning it would clear around 7,500 hectares of land, threaten nationally protected species, generate an estimated 144 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and place further pressure on the Great Barrier Reef catchment. The project should be refused or, at a minimum, undergo a full Environmental Impact Statement before any decision is made.
Queenslanders risk losing their say on major developments under proposed laws
EnvA has called for the proposed legislative changes to be rejected, warning it would significantly expand ministerial powers while reducing transparency, public consultation and appeal rights. The Bill would fundamentally alter the balance between development facilitation and public accountability, with implications for communities, landholders and environmental decision-making across Queensland.
EnvA calls on Federal Envinment Minister to look beyond coal miner assurances
EnvA has called on the Federal Environment Minister to ensure public submissions on the proposed Peak Downs Mine Power Line Realignment Project are properly assessed.