Massive thermal coal mine approvals a slap in the face for bushfire survivors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25 September 2024
BUSHFIRE SURVIVORS FOR CLIMATE ACTION (BSCA) has spoken out in response to the news that Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has approved three new large coal mining projects in NSW: Whitehaven Coal’s Narrabri thermal coal project to 2066, MACH Energy’s Mount Pleasant thermal coal project to 2058, and Yancoal’s Ashton coal project to 2064.
The Albanese Government’s three new coal mine expansions will emit 1.4 billion tonnes of carbon pollution, more than three times Australia’s total annual emissions. The Government refused to consider the climate impacts of these massive coal projects, and is refusing to fix Australia’s environment laws to consider climate change and protect nature.
Just two months ago Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action delivered a joint BSCA-Climate Council petition to the Environment Minister with over 11,000 signatures asking the government to fix these laws and to pause approvals of coal and gas projects until they adequately considered climate impacts.
And in 2023 the tiny charity, founded and led by bushfire survivors, challenged Whitehaven’s Narrabri project in court by challenging the decision of the NSW Independent Planning Commission on the grounds that in the face of the climate impacts already being experienced by the people, environment and economy of NSW, the approval was legally unreasonable. The group lost the case.
“We’ve done everything we can to protect our homes - even to the extent of taking on a massive coal company in the courts.” said Serena Joyner, Chief Executive Officer of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action.
“We can’t do anything more, and yet the Government keeps raising the risk level. This is a cowardly decision by the Albanese Government that is actively failing to take real climate action to protect our communities from worsening fires, floods, and extreme weather. If this government won't stand up to the coal billionaires and polluters, then who will? Who will say no to these projects?”
Speaking from her new home on the mid-north coast of NSW Fiona Lee has said she is devastated. “Nearly 5 years ago I lost my home to the climate-fueled bushfires of 2019-20. Now Tanya Plibersek has the audacity to greenlight three more coal mines. Approving coal while we brace for even worse fires? That’s not leadership—it’s betrayal.”
Jo Dodds, President of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action has spoken about the impact on locals of the Narrabri mine expansion. “BSCA visited the Narrabri community during preparation for our legal action to stop the expansion of the Whitehaven coal mine. We talked to locals, business owners, First Nations people, farmers and politicians. Not one person we talked to was happy about the mine.
“They feared the impacts on water, the damage to the land, the pollution to the very air they breathe. They feared more frequent, more destructive bushfires. With the Government’s approval of these three mines, the fears of this community have been realised.
“Even as we mark the 5 year anniversaries of so many who lost everything in the Black Summer fires, bushfire survivors are having to face the fact that the Australian Government is failing to take genuine meaningful action to protect them from climate-fuelled fires and wondering who will? It’s a huge slap in the face. It’s hard not to take it personally - in fact we do.”
Media enquiries:
Emily Watkins, 0420 622 408 or emily.watkins@climatemediacentre.org.au
About Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action:
Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA) is a non-partisan, community organisation made up of bushfire survivors, firefighters and their families working together to call on our leaders to take action on climate change. BSCA formed in 2018, and its founding members were all impacted by bushfires, including Tathra 2018, the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20, Blue Mountains in 2013, Black Saturday in 2009 and Canberra in 2003.
BSCA has been at the cutting edge of legal reform to reduce climate emissions and hold governments, agencies and companies to account. In 2021 we took the NSW Environment Protection Authority to court challenging them on their lack of action on climate change and won. Our landmark win in the NSW Land and Environment Court was the first time that an Australian Court ordered a government to take meaningful action on climate change.
Jo Dodds and Fiona Lee visiting Narrabri in 2021