Olive Downs coal mine risks koala, greater glider habitat, claims Lock the Gate

Koalas and greater gliders are claimed to be at risk from Qld’s newest coal mine in new drone footage, as an environmental group urgently calls on the federal government to add more protections.

Pembroke Resources officially opened the Olive Downs Complex in 2023, which will produce steelmaking coal for the next seven decades.

Koalas and greater gliders are claimed to be at greater risk from Queensland’s newest coal mine, as an environmental group urgently calls on the federal government to add more protections.

Newly released thermal drone footage taken from a property near the Olive Downs complex shows koalas, including breeding pairs, claims Lock the Gate.

Central Queensland co-ordinator Dr Claire Gronow said the plight of koalas and greater gliders had worsened since Olive Downs was first approved in 2020, and they are now listed as ‘endangered’.

Koala spotted via drone near the Olive Downs coal complex in Queensland. Supplied by Lock the Gate

“We’re calling on the Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, to update the conditions to better protect these species in response to the results of this survey,” Dr Gronow said.

“The Albanese Government shouldn’t stand by while Pembroke Resources bulldozes endangered koala and greater glider habitat.

“Koalas and greater gliders are at grave risk from habitat clearing and global heating, and the Olive Downs coal mine expansion will dramatically escalate both threats.

“These endangered species are facing the death of a thousand cuts, and after approving seven coal projects last year alone, Minister Plibersek needs to urgently change course. “She can do that by stepping in on this project to strengthen conditions and increase protections”.

Aerial map from environmental group Lock The Gate showing where it had spotted koalas near the proposed expansion site of the Olive Downs coal mine. The group is calling for Tanya Plibersek to add new conditions to the approval given to Pembroke Resources. Picture: Supplied

When asked about what it is doing to protect the species, a Pembroke spokeswoman said the company was “widely recognised” for setting new standards in biodiversity management.

“The Icon Initiative is a groundbreaking program that researches preserves and protects the koalas in their natural environment, while also providing invaluable scientific research and insights into this species,” she said.

“Pembroke’s biodiversity initiatives were recognised in 2024 when it was awarded the Queensland Mining Award for the Environment.”

Pembroke Resources said its environmental work is of a high standard.

The letter from Dr Gronow of Lock the Gate, seen by the Daily Mercury, claims Stage 3 of the project will clear 3,900ha of koala and greater glider habitat.

It also notes the conditions for the mine were varied in 2023, without “reconsideration of the massive scale of further habitat loss”.

“While Central Queensland koala populations are more at risk from the effects of climate change, the higher levels of genetic diversity in the Central Queensland population will likely be critical to the overall survival of the species,” Dr Gronow said.

At least 145 koalas were killed on the Peak Downs Highway in 2024. The road connects Mackay to the Bowen Basin coal mines out west, including Olive Downs. Picture: Supplied/CQ University

A spokeswoman for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Water and The Environment said, the department “will carefully consider the correspondence received on 29 January, against the provisions in the EPBC Act”.

“All projects approved under national environment law undergo a rigorous environmental assessment,” the spokeswoman said.

“Approvals contain strict conditions to ensure any environmental impacts identified during the assessment can be managed appropriately.”

The creation of a federal Environment Protection Agency was put on ice by the Labor government, leaving less avenues to dispute major projects on environmental grounds.

Mine expansions aren’t the only danger to koalas, they are regularly killed crossing the Peak Downs Highway.

That road services the major mines west of Mackay and Rockhampton, and 145 deaths were documented by researchers on the road in 2024.
Now they are pushing for a local wildlife hospital, and fencing in crucial stretches to prevent the slow, simple creatures from crossing the road.

Originally published as Olive Downs coal mine risks koala, greater glider habitat, claims Lock the Gate