Environmental group adds another hurdle for coal and gas
The mining sector is looking at another potential logjam of approvals after an environmental group lodged 19 reconsideration requests for resources projects around the country, but predominantly in Queensland.
New Acland has hit another hurdle
It came as the Queensland Resources Council called on the Palaszczuk Government to stop stalling and declare New Acland Stage 3 coal project a prescribed project, which meant it was a project of significance, particularly economically or socially.
To give it that status would mean the Co-ordinator General would step in to make sure “timely” decision making was done.
But the thermal coal project, near Oakey, has been a political football for more than a decade and appeals against it went as far as the High Court which handed it back to the Land Court where it was approved.
It recently was granted environmental approval and is awaiting a mining lease.
Resource projects in Queensland have faced significant hurdles in recent years as environmental groups used the courts to thwart their progress.
QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the Department of Environment and Science took more than six months to hand down a decision regarding New Acland Stage 3’s Environmental Authority and its decision had been thoroughly and appropriately considered.
“The Palaszczuk Government needs to have faith in its own processes and not be held to ransom by minority activist groups,” Macfarlane said.
“No resources project in Queensland history has been more scrutinised or assessed than New Acland Stage 3.
“New Hope Group, its workers and the local community have been stuck on a never-ending roundabout for more than 15 years.”
Now, the Environmental Council of Central Queensland has submitted 19 reconsideration requests to the federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
The submission asked that Plibersek reconsider the first stage of assessment for host of coal and gas projects including the APLNG gas supply security project, the Meadowbrook coal mine, the Caval Ridge expansion, the Ensham expansion, Stanmore’s Range project, the Valeria project, Waratah’s Alpha North project and the Styx coal project.
Environmental Justice Australia said some of the projects had already been considered but others had controlling provisions set a decade ago.
“For all these proposals, however, the environment minister at the time, did not identify climate harm to Matters of National Environmental Significance,” the group said.
It claimed that when controlling provisions were made, harm to the place or any species had to be assessed before the project could be approved.
“Our client has compiled a vault of the most up-to-date evidence showing the global scientific consensus on the effects of climate change for so many of the places, plants and species the Minister is tasked with legal responsibility for,” EJA said.
“The requests from our client aim to make sure the application of environmental law in Australia accounts for the reality of climate change.”
“Minister Plibersek has been handed more than 3000 documents, spreadsheets and detailed fire maps from scientific sources and the government’s own documents charting the impact of climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions on 2121 species, places and ecological communities.”
