It’s enterprise as typical for Labor, as Watt rubber stamps polluting coal mine extension

The Australian Greens have known as Murray Watt’s determination to approve the extension of a coal mine – the primary coal mine of the brand new Parliament – ‘business as usual’ for Labor.

The coal mine – Glencore’s Ulan thermal coal mine close to Mudgee in NSW – already has present approvals to mine as much as 20 million tonnes of thermal coal annually.

The extension would extract an additional 18.8 million tonnes, and lengthen the mine’s life to 2045.

The Greens have known as approving coal mine extensions a ‘climate crime’, that will commit Australia to offering the world with a long time extra coal energy, which needs to be changed with clear expertise.

To drive down emissions and take the motion wanted to restrict world warming to 1.5 or 2 levels, Labor must cease approving coal and fuel initiatives.

Yet within the final time period alone, Labor accepted over 30 new coal and fuel initiatives.

And with this determination on Glencore’s Ulan thermal coal mine, Minister Watt seems able to proceed this local weather vandalism.

In addition to wreaking havoc on the local weather, this extension will influence native wildlife as effectively, clearing as much as 37 hectares of native vegetation for the floor space infrastructure, placing threatened species like koalas and swift parrots additional in danger.

Quotes attributable to Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Larissa Waters:

“Approving coal or fuel these days is a local weather crime. Yet for Labor, it appears to be enterprise as typical.

“Labor should cease gaslighting the general public – opening new coal and fuel is the alternative of local weather motion.

“It locks Australia into offering the world with extra coal and fuel for many years to return, whereas placing threatened wildlife like our treasured koalas in danger.

“Last week Minister Watt mentioned he was planning to introduce new environmental legal guidelines later this yr, however that he wouldn’t name them ‘Nature Positive’.

“Maybe that’s because they’re going to be Coal and Gas Positive instead.”

Quotes attributable to Australian Greens Environment spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

“This reveals simply how badly we’d like new setting legal guidelines. It’s loopy that the  Environment Minister can approve a thermal coal mine for twenty years once we know this may make local weather change worse.

“While Labor is approving extra coal and fuel, Australians are already feeling the impacts of the local weather disaster, just like the poisonous algal bloom in South Australia.

“Labor needs to make a choice. Are they going to keep approving new coal and gas and do deals with the Liberals to weaken environmental protections, or will they work with the Greens to take climate action and protect nature.”

Quotes attributable to Australian Greens spokesperson for assets, Senator Steph Hodgins-May: 

“Minister Watt’s first coal mine approval this time period reveals precisely the place Labor’s priorities lie – they’ll greenlight new fossil gasoline initiatives, however they nonetheless refuse to launch the nationwide local weather danger evaluation we’ve been demanding.

“This authorities is hooked on coal and fuel. Over 30 approvals final time period, and now extra local weather bombs on the best way.

“On the eve of setting 2035 emissions targets, the Albanese Government is locking in new coal initiatives that can make any goal meaningless. 

“This is not climate leadership. It’s climate sabotage – and its future generations, frontline communities and endangered wildlife that will pay the price.”