Bowen Coking Coal’s Isaac River mine approval slammed by climate activists

A Bowen Basin mine approved late Thursday is the first since the federal Labour government came to power in 2022, and has already drawn fury from anti-fossil fuel groups.

A Bowen Basin mine approved late Thursday is the first since the federal Labour government came to power in 2022, and has already drawn fury from anti-fossil fuel groups.

A project near Moranbah is in line to become the first new coal mine approved by the federal Labor government since coming into power last year.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek indicated late on Thursday that Bowen Coking Coal’s Isaac River mine in Central Queensland’s Bowen Basin would get the green light.

The coking coal mine covers an area of 14sq km and is located about 30km west of Moranbah and 130km southwest of Mackay.

The approval has already drawn fury from anti-fossil fuel groups who plan to rally outside of Plibersek’s office on Friday.

Move Beyond Coal campaigner Josh Creaser said climate activists saw the mine approval as a betrayal.

Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek during Question Time in the House of Representatives in Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“We’re obviously very disappointed to see the Minister approving a new coal mine,” Mr Creaser said.

“This Labour government was elected on a platform of strong climate action … that is completely undermined by Minister Plibersek approving new coal mines.

“She needs to start doing her job, which is to protect the environment.”

Mr Creaser said the Isaac River project approval could be a tipping point for more than a dozen other mine openings and extensions awaiting assessment by Ms Plibersek.

“That’s why we’ll be taking action today (with a rally) outside Plibersek’s office,” he said.

“We’re going to make sure she really hears us.

“Plibersek made the wrong decision yesterday.”

The approval comes after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported on a “code red alert for humanity” and urged for a halt on any new Australian mining operations.

The Isaac River coking coal project was approved by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on May 11, becoming the first new mine approved by the federal Labour government. Photo: Contributed

The Courier Mail reported the most recent IPCC report showed how increased global temperatures could destroy the Great Barrier Reef and subject Queensland to increasingly extreme weather events.

Climate Council has also slammed the mine approval, with head of advocacy Dr Jennifer Rayner saying it “takes us in entirely the wrong direction to protect Australians from the worsening effects of dangerous climate change”.

The Isaac River project is expected to produce 500,000 tonnes of metallurgical coal per year over a four to five year period, to be transported by existing regional infrastructure such as the Goonyella rail system.

Metallurgical or coking coal is used for the production of steel, rather than thermal coal which is used in energy production.

Bowen Coking Coal executive chairman Nick Jorss confirmed the company had accepted in full the proposed environmental conditions attached to the operation.

“As the Bowen Basin’s newest independent coal producer, we are here to meet the growing demand for energy and steelmaking coal,” he said.

“We are confident that world steel and energy demand will continue its rapid growth, driven by on-going industrialization in the developing world and the drive for decarbonisation in the developed world.”

The approval comes days after Bowen Coking Coal celebrated the reopening of its Burton Lenton complex which has promised 500 jobs and 4.5Mt of primarily steelmaking coal for export when it reaches full capacity.

Originally published as Bowen Coking Coal’s Isaac River mine approval slammed by climate activists