16 September, 2013
Maules Creek community in court today to fight controversial mine approval
The Northern Inland Council for the Environment is in the federal court today mounting a bid to prevent the expansion of two environmentally destructive coal mines through the heart of Leard State Forest and surrounding farmland.
The Whitehaven Maules Creek coal mine, near Narrabri, and the neighbouring Idemitsu Boggabri coal mine will run through Leard Forest, destroying almost 3,500 hectares of woodland in the Brigalow Belt South Bioregion, a nationally-listed biodiversity hotspot.
The Nature Conservation Council stands with the local community in calling for the incoming federal government to fix the flawed approval process for these mines and live up to its responsibility under federal environmental law to protect this important ecological area.
Nature Conservation Council Campaigns Director, Kate Smolski said:“These mines should never have been approved by the federal government. They will have unacceptable impacts on endangered species, water resources and the surrounding community.”
“Government’s failure to protect the environment has left the vulnerable community of Maules Creek with no alternative but to take legal action.
Ms Smolski said Whitehaven Coal planned to clear more than 500 hectares of critically endangered White Box-Gum woodland, which requires offsets of the same ecosystem type to be protected elsewhere.
“However, the areas that the company has mapped as endangered White Box-Gum woodland in their proposed offsets are in fact a totally different vegetation type. They do not provide habitat for the threatened species the offset was supposed to protect: the Swift Parrot, Regent Honeyeater or Corben's Long-eared Bat.
“It is unconscionable that the former federal government granted approval for these important public lands to be destroyed for short-term profit.
“It is deeply concerning that former Environment Minister Tony Burke approved the Whitehaven mine before completing an investigation into whether the company has provided false and misleading information on the availability of offsets.
"Regardless of the outcome of the case, the incoming Federal Environment Minister should take this opportunity to complete that investigation before mining begins and causes irreparable harm to this important natural area.”
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Coal and gasPlanning and Development
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