Reef fears raised, as Australian court approves mine

By Jill Fraser

MELBOURNE, Australia

Australia’s Federal Court has thrown out a case against the government’s approval of a massive $A21 billion ($16 million) coal mining project that opponents contend could destroy the Great Barrier Reef and pollute the climate.

The court decision Monday means Indian coal giant Adani Mining is a step closer to building one of the world’s largest coal mines in Queensland in northeastern Australia.

The region contains vast amounts of thermal coal, the burning of which, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) argued, would contribute to further bleaching of the reef, which is a direct result of global warming.

In April this year, the Queensland government gave the final green light to Indian-based power and energy conglomerate Adani to develop their Galilee Basin Carmichael mine coal asset.

The basin is a 247,000 square kilometer (95,367 square mile) thermal coal basin in Queensland's central region -- one of the largest untapped coal reserves on the planet.

The Adani project is one of nine coal mega-mines proposed for the basin, which together make it the second biggest fossil fuel expansion proposed anywhere in the world after western China.

Adani received the green light from former federal environment minister Greg Hunt in October 2015.

At the time Hunt said that the approval came with 36 of the strictest environmental conditions imposed in Australia.

The ACF challenge had sought to establish a landmark climate change case in Australia, arguing approval of the proposed mine was inconsistent with the country's international obligations to protect the reef, which stretches 2,300 km (1,430 miles) along Australia's northeast coast and is the world's largest living ecosystem.

Monday’s court ruling upheld Hunt’s approval of the Adani mine.

In a statement sent to Anadolu Agency, the current environment minister, Josh Frydenburg, welcomed the decision.

“The finding provides greater certainty for the Commonwealth’s decision making process for approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999,” he said.

“The project includes 36 of the strictest environmental conditions in Australian history.”

The ACF vowed Monday not to give up its efforts to stop the mine.

In a statement released after the ruling, ACF CEO Kelly O’Shanassy said that most Australians would be shocked that the government could legally approve the biggest coalmine in the country's history, when the Great Barrier Reef had suffered the worst coral bleaching on record in 2016, which he said was a direct result of global warming.

“If the Carmichael mine proceeds, its coal will create 4.7 billion tons of climate pollution over the proposed life of the mine, wiping out Australia’s efforts to reduce pollution and contributing to more frequent and severe bleaching events on the reef," O’Shanassy said.

“It is extraordinary that in 2016 a federal environment minister can argue in court that a mega-polluting coal mine will have no impact on the climate and the Great Barrier Reef. Australia’s environment laws are broken if they cannot account for the impacts of global warming on the reef, one of our country’s most loved national treasures."

We are not giving up, he stated.

“Poll after poll shows Australians want a healthy reef, not more polluting coal.”