Just one week after the Albanese government approved three giant new coal mines in New South Wales, an ABC investigation has revealed Queensland coal company Vitrinite has been found mining coal and bulldozing koala habitat at its proposed Vulcan South coal mine without Federal environmental approval. Minister Plibersek must act to immediately stop the illegal clearing and mining and enforce the law.
Vitrinite is seeking approval from the federal government for its Vulcan South coal mine, that is planned to destroy over 1000 hectares of koala habitat, equivalent to 500 MCG sized sporting fields. But before being granted approval for the project Vitrinite has started digging a ‘test’ coal mine and cleared at least 47 hectares of koala habitat without federal approval.
Minister Plibersek’s federal environment department and the Queensland government should have prevented the illegal clearing and done their job to ensure the coal company is following the law. It should not be left up to community groups and environmental lawyers to do Minister Plibersek’s job.
The fact that a coal company can start a coal mine without federal environmental approvals and illegally clear koala habitat shows how broken Australia’s environment laws are. Not only are our weak environmental laws failing to prevent habitat destruction, they are not even being enforced, allowing coal companies like Vitrinite to illegally bulldoze koala habitat for polluting coal mines.
Minister Plibersek must ensure that Vitrinite is held to account and immediately stop this coal mining activity, to prevent further destruction of koala habitat.
Despite approving three new climate-wrecking coal mines, there are many more sitting on Minister Plibersek’s desk. Minister Plibersek is currently assessing Vitrinite’s application for the Vulcan South coal mine, which she must reject. Vitrinite has already started its Vulcan South coal mine without federal approval, exposing their appalling disregard for the environment and the laws that are supposed to protect it. Vitrinite is a company that cannot be trusted and it should not be granted approval to continue the destructive Vulcan South coal mine.
Vitrinite has a shocking track record of environmental crimes. It has been issued an Environmental Protection Order by the Queensland government for releasing polluted water into local creeks at its already operating Vulcan coal mine. The company also cleared land outside of the approved boundaries of the Vulcan coal mine and failed to report breaches to the environment department. Vitrinite is a serial environmental offender and should not be granted approval for the Vulcan South coal mine.