The Queensland town of Clermont was at the centre of the coal debate last year when anti-Adani protesters visited the region, but a new debate has inflamed the community. This time questioning the environmental impact of a new proposed thermal coal mine.
The Queensland town of Clermont was at the centre of the coal debate last year when anti-Adani protesters visited the region, but a new debate has inflamed the community. This time questioning the environmental impact of a new proposed thermal coal mine.
The Moorlands Coal Project, owned by Chinese company Huaxin Energy, is a proposed open-cut, export-grade thermal coal development project planned 25 kilometres north-west of Clermont.
But the staunchly pro-coal community is concerned about the proposed location of a haul road, arguing the development through the Blair Athol State Forest will have a negative impact on koala populations and the tourism economy.
Koala data collection questioned
Before any development can begin, a potential mine requires an Environmental Authority (EA) issued by the Department of Environment and Science (DES).
The self-assessed application judges the level of potential risk, through mapping and data collection.
But the assessment in Huaxin's application, that koalas native to the region would be minimally impacted, has raised some questions with ecological researcher Bill Ellis.
Key points:
- An open-cut, export-grade thermal coal project has been proposed 25km north-west of the Queensland town of Clermont
- The pro-coal community have objected to development through the Blair Athol State Forest
- One researcher has questioned the veracity of Huaxin Energy's self-assessed environmental impact report, with concerns for the region's koala population
QLD Country Hour / By Melanie Groves
Posted Thu 13 Feb 2020 at 6:37am