Albanese’s Coal Mine Extension Approvals and the Safeguard Mechanism Crash
In the past three months, the Albanese government has given the green light to seven new coal mining extensions. The most recent approval for four coal mines, granted yesterday, includes a super-emitting mine in Queensland that could seriously impact the Safeguard Mechanism.
Just a month ago, the Climate Change Authority issued a direct warning to the Albanese government in their Annual Progress Report. They clearly stated that new coal and gas projects were taking up the allocated emissions space needed to uphold the Safeguard Mechanism’s emissions cap by 2030.
After approving three new coal mines in September, such as the Narrabri underground coal mine, the slim buffer zone remaining for the Safeguard Mechanism had shrunk by 30 million tonnes or 36%. Now, with the recent approval of four more coal mine extensions, that buffer zone has decreased even further.
Among these approvals are three new coal mining extensions in Queensland, with Vulcan South already being accused of illegally clearing koala habitat for a ‘test’ coal mine. The EPBC Act approval of Vulcan South allows for the potential clearance of an additional 1,000 hectares of Koala habitat, equivalent to over 500 Gabba-sized football fields.
In addition, BHP’s Caval Ridge, one of Australia’s largest coal mines, has received approval to continue operations until 2056. The mine holds a world record for the largest electronic explosion, and its carbon dioxide emissions exceed those of Nepal annually.
The Lake Vermont Meadowbrook project in Queensland poses a significant risk to the Safeguard Mechanism. Operating as an open-cut mine currently, it produces 9 million tonnes of metallurgical coal per year. The proposed development of an underground mine could drastically increase emissions, with estimates exceeding 3 million tonnes per year by 2036 if not mitigated effectively.
If these projections hold true, the new approval could add an additional 3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 and reduce the remaining Safeguard Buffer Zone by approximately 6%. Mitigation technologies are available to reduce these emissions, with the coal mine operator estimating a potential 90% decrease through various measures like pre-mine drainage and methane capture.
Despite the availability of mitigation strategies, the Queensland Coordinator General questioned the feasibility of implementing these emissions reduction measures. It’s clear that these new coal mine extensions pose a significant threat to emissions targets and environmental conservation efforts.
