Australia blocks coal mine to protect Great Barrier Reef

For the first time in history, Australia has blocked the creation of a coal mine under environmental laws.

The government on Thursday rejected a proposal for a new mine about 10km (6.2 miles) from the Great Barrier Reef.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the project posed an unacceptable risk to the World Heritage area, which is already highly vulnerable.

The mine’s owner, the controversial Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, has not yet responded to the rejection.

His firm, Central Queensland Coal, had proposed to build an open-cut mine about 700km north-west of Brisbane, that would produce both thermal and coking coal and operate for about 20 years.

Ms Plibersek had last year flagged that the federal government might block the mine. After opening it to public consideration, her department received more than 9,000 submissions in 10 days – the majority calling for the project to be stopped.

The Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – has suffered four mass bleachings in the past six years due to rising sea temperatures and its outlook is “very poor”, authorities say.

The Queensland state government had last year also recommended their federal counterparts reject the proposal, saying the environmental risks were “significant”.

Minister Plibersek’s department agreed, finding sediment and run off from the open-cut mine was likely to damage the Reef and local water resources.

“I’ve decided that the adverse environmental impacts are simply too great,” the minister said in a video statement on Wednesday.

While state governments have rejected proposals before, it is the first time a federal Environment Minister has used their powers to do so.

Australia’s Labor government – elected in May – has been under pressure from some quarters to block any future coal and gas mining projects.

The country cannot help to stop catastrophic climate change – or keep global warming below a 1.5C increase this century – if it allows new mines, environmental advocates like the Greens political party say.

Australia is a major global supplier of fossil fuels. When exports are factored in, the country accounts for producing 3.6% of the world’s emissions, but with only 0.3% of the world’s population.

While the new government has significantly increased Australia’s 2030 emissions reduction target, it has also said it will approve any new fossil fuel projects that make commercial sense.