New Coal Mine for Qld to Fuel Climate Change

Six Degrees calls on the Queensland government not to approve the newly proposed mine planned near Alpha in Queensland's central west.

“The burning of coal is the world's largest contributor to climate change. Any effort the Bligh government makes to reduce carbon emissions pales in comparison to the emissions from the coal industry” said Friends of the Earth spokesperson Emma Brindal.

Queensland's coal produces about 378 million tonnes of greenhouse emissions each year, which is more than double Queensland's 170.9 million tonnes of domestic emissions in all sectors - energy, transport and agriculture.

“The rampant expansion of the coal industry must be stopped if the Queensland government is serious about saving icons like the Great Barrier Reef from climate change” said Ms Brindal.

The new project, if allowed to go ahead could process up to 80 million tonnes of coal a year, significantly increasing Queensland’s current exports of around 170 million tonnes a year.

“It is time the Queensland government shifted its funding for coal infrastructure into supporting renewable energy industries. Renewable energy technologies provide 3-5 times more jobs per unit of energy produced than coal” said Ms Brindal.

The project proposed by Hancock Prospecting, includes a new thermal coal mine near Alpha, together with the construction of a 400 kilometre rail line and a port and coal handling terminal near Mackay. The company says it hopes to begin construction of the mine by late 2010 and start exporting coal in 2013.