Queensland’s Supreme Court has backed the state government’s decision to approve the proposed Carmichael coal mine. But environmental groups have scored some key legal points on climate considerations.
Queensland’s planned new coal mine could impact the climate, the Great Barrier Reef, water, and local species. Yet still it has been declared as ‘critical infrastructure’ by the state government.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s proposed changes to Australia’s national environment act will significantly reduce judicial oversight on environmental decisions. Here’s why that matters.
The granting of a mining lease to the Carmichael coal project, despite the huge potential greenhouse emissions, shows that ministers need to consider the wider consequences of their approvals.
More than half of the remaining habitat for Queensland’s southern black-throated finches is potentially subject to mining development. If these mines go ahead, it will be bad news for these birds.
Energy companies are realising that, in light of the Paris climate deal, the economics are starting to line up in favour of climate action, not against it.
The government is set to restrict green groups’ right to challenge environmental approvals in court. But the law isn’t doing its job in protecting Australia’s plants and animals anyway.
Australia’s failure to reassess its commitment to coal will have serious negative consequences, not only for Australia’s economy, but for the health and well being of millions of people and the global environment.
Both industry and environmental groups need more certainty over the government’s approvals process. But the recent hectic rhetoric has given them less certainty - and that could be bad for both sides.
Richard Di Natale, leader of The Greens, told the Q&A audience that India will no longer buying Australian coal but presenter Tony Jones said he thought that was wrong. We check the facts.
The government plans to change the law so green groups don’t automatically qualify to mount legal challenges against environmental approvals. That would make it much harder for green watchdogs to act.
The federal government want to stop green groups from using “lawfare”. But proposed changes threaten to seriously curtail public interest litigation in Australia.
The Federal Court’s decision to overturn the Adani Group’s federal environmental approval to build the A$16 billion Carmichael coal mine in Queensland highlights policy issues that have a significance…