Arabic version: محكمة كوينزلاند تؤيد الخطوة التالية لمنجم وينشستر ساوث

According to ABC News, the Queensland Land Court has ruled in favour of Whitehaven Coal’s proposed $1 billion Winchester South coalmine, allowing planning for one of Australia’s largest proposed greenfield coal projects to continue. The project remains subject to final approvals from the Queensland and federal governments.

The proposed open-cut mine is about 30 kilometres south-east of Moranbah in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. Whitehaven expects it to produce 17 million tonnes of coal a year, mostly metallurgical coal used to make steel, as well as thermal coal. If approved, the mine would have a total life of 35 years, including 28 years of coal extraction and export.

The Australian Conservation Foundation and Mackay Conservation Group had sought to stop the project, citing potential environmental impacts, climate change and future coal demand. The Land Court heard their application over seven weeks. The court was told total emissions over the mine’s life would be 557,246,614 tonnes of CO2 equivalent and that burning its coal would increase warming by 0.0003 degrees Celsius.

Judge Nicholas Loos described the CO2 amount as “an extraordinary amount” and said the mine would contribute to the consequences of human-driven warming. However, he said climate change could only be meaningfully addressed through cumulative action and found he could not agree with the groups’ three primary grounds for refusal. He also found Whitehaven’s plan to manage serious local environmental impacts acceptable, while citing expected jobs, economic activity for the Isaac region and $696 million in royalties over the mine’s life, according to Deloitte calculations, as benefits. The Queensland government must now decide whether the project proceeds, before required state approvals and a final federal decision.