The federal government has ticked off on extension plans for three NSW coal mines, allowing one of them to keep operating until almost 2050.
Opponents of the approvals slammed the decisions as “shocking” and “the opposite of climate action” but Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said she was simply acting in accordance with the national environment law.
The approvals issued yesterday applied to MACH Energy’s Mount Pleasant mine Yancoal Australia’s Ravensworth project near Muswellbrook in the Hunter and Whitehaven’s Narrabri venture in northern NSW.
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Combined, the projects are believed to directly and indirectly support about 1800 full-time-equivalent jobs.
The Australia Institute think-tank described the approvals as “shocking”, saying they were the fifth, sixth and seventh coal mine projects approved by the Albanese government.
“These approvals are inconsistent with Australia’s climate goals and reinforces our country’s reputation as one of the world’s major fossil fuel exporters,” research director Rod Campbell said.
“These are some of the dirtiest, most polluting coal projects seeking approval in Australia right now.
“Fossil fuel projects like these are driving climate change. The government should level with the people of Australia and declare when their final fossil fuel project approval will be given.”
Plibersek defended her decision, saying they were only extensions, not new projects.
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“The Albanese government has to make decisions in accordance with the facts and the national environment law – that’s what happens on every project, and that’s what’s happened here,” she said.
“The government will continue to consider each project on a case-by-case basis, under the law.”
That law has been the subject of debate in recent weeks as the government tries to get its environment and housing reforms through the Senate.
The Nature Positive Act, would, among other things, establish Environment Protection Australia (EPA) as an environmental regulator.
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The price for the Greens’ support is a ”climate trigger” to veto major greenhouse-gas-emitting projects but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ruled that out earlier this month.
“What we won’t do is undermine our own legislation with amendments when it stands on its merits and when… everyone in the parliament says they support the framework and the objective of that legislation,” he said.
“It’s as simple as that.”
Lock the Gate Alliance criticised the government for refusing to budge on the proposal and Australian Conservation Foundation climate program manager Gavan McFadzean said the latest proposals were the “opposite of climate action”.
“Together, these coal mines will generate more than 1.3 billion tonnes of lifetime emissions which will undermine Australia reaching net zero by 2050,” he said.
“It is grossly irresponsible to be approving coal mines when global scientists and the International Energy Agency have repeated calls for no new coal and gas projects if we have any chance of having a safe climate.”
The Mount Pleasant approval allows MACH Energy to increase its open-cut coal extraction to 21 million tonnes per annum and extend the life of the mine until 2048.
The Narrabri mine can take 11 million tonnes of coal a year until 2044 and the Ashton project has been extended until 2032.
Plibersek said the minister for climate change would consider the projects’ emissions under the safeguard mechanism, which the Greens agreed to support last year.
Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable welcomed the decisions.
“These projects have faced lengthy delays due to appeals exploiting legal loopholes in our environmental laws, driven by third parties disconnected from the needs of local communities,” she told the ABC.
“While the courts ultimately dismissed these claims, it hasn’t come without a cost to the taxpayer and local communities.”
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