Australia's newly formed government has granted approval for a new coal mine, the Isaac River coal mine, located in central Queensland.
Tanya Plibersek, the Australian Federal Minister for the Environment, announced the green light for the Isaac River coal mine late May 11.
The mine, to be developed by Bowen Coking Coal, is planned to be situated 28 kilometers east of Moranbah and adjacent to five other coal mines. It is projected to produce approximately 500,000 tonnes of coking coal annually within a span of five years.
Despite a small mine compared to others in the state, the think tank Australia Institute noted that the production from this mine could generate about 7 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifecycle.
Environmental organizations had called for the government to halt this new development, citing concerns over increased global emissions and habitat destruction for endangered or vulnerable species.
However, when Minister Plibersek announced the proposed decision on May 11, the government stated that no submissions, including those from environmental groups, were received during the public consultation period regarding the project.
The Albanese government must make decisions based on facts and national environmental laws – that's the case with every project, and it's the case here, a spokesperson said.
Since the election, the government has doubled the approvals of renewable energy, reaching record levels, and it will continue to undertake project-specific analysis within the framework of the law, the spokesperson said.
(Writing by Alex Guo Editing by Harry Huo)
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