Media Release

Friday 26 February 2021

Clive Palmer's Central Queensland Coal Project proposal, which would be located on the coast just 10 kilometres from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, has raised fears of an environmental disaster among local residents and scientists alike.

Today the Queensland Government accepted the project's Environmental Impact Statement and determined that the project could go on to the next level of environmental assessment despite significant environmental concerns.      

The Independent Expert Scientific Committee that reviewed the project slammed the proposal, saying the coal mine would present “very significant risks to ... the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the Broad Sound Fish Habitat Area (Queensland’s largest fish habitat and on the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia)”

Media Release

5 February 2021

In a blog published last week, Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, says that renewables are fast becoming the cheapest and best source of energy, especially for countries that currently rely on fossil fuel imports. 

He wrote “Today, as COVID19 challenges the fundamental assumptions of our lives, the urgency of a green revolution in the energy sector gains greater importance. While the immediate economic impact may slow us down, we are presented with an opportunity to pause, rethink, and design a new and faster transition to a low carbon future.”

“The adage that renewables are good for the environment, but bad for business is increasingly a thing of the past. Today, we see an accelerating trend where policies facilitated by governments, public awareness and support for action on climate change, and the economies of scale continue to create massive market demand and job creation through renewables while simultaneously addressing the energy security for countries dependent on energy imports.”

This week the Queensland Resources Council released a wish-list of mining projects it wants fast-tracked by our government, including six coal mines in the Galilee Basin and several in the Bowen and Surat Basins. Most of those mines are still undergoing federal and state assessment processes, including developing Environmental Impact Statements. Others have not been able to obtain finance. A High Court challenge by farmers over threats to water supply stands in the way of another.

Thermal coal (the type that produces electricity) has suffered from declining prices for nearly two years. It was selling for US$120 per tonne in July 2018 but by April this year it was less than half that price. According to respected industry analyst, Rory Simington of Wood Mackenzie, 30 per cent of Australia’s thermal coal mines are currently unprofitable due to low prices. 

A recent report published in Nature Sustainability provides a thorough examination of the approval process for Adani’s underground water licence. The authors are some of Australia's leading water experts. They examine the evidence from all parties and show that there is still significant uncertainty about the water source of the ancient Doongmabulla Springs and 150 associated wetlands.

The assessment process was political from the start. The federal environment minister's approval came just hours before the government went into caretaker mode for the 2019 election. At the time, the Queensland environment minister commented that the decision "reeks of political interference". The federal minister had come under intense pressure from within the government to approve the water plan even though it wasn't complete. Mackay Conservation Group's concern was that the pre-election federal sign off on the water license was a rushed decision that didn't permit a full examination of the scientific evidence.

Every day during the Coronavirus epidemic there has been at least one state or national leader holding a news conference outlining the situation and their plans to keep us all safe. Every one of them was flanked by a senior medical expert to lend scientific credibility to their statements. During this crisis, Australians have trusted scientists, yet when it comes to the climate crisis politicians scoff at the scientific evidence.

by Peter McCallum, Coordinator, Mackay Conservation Group

The most intense moments of my life have been witnessing the birth of my children. New life entering the world filled me with love, hope and enormous responsibility. 

No parent would intentionally place their child in danger. The opposite is true. Parenting is a process of protecting a new young life, while giving the child the opportunity to learn to live independently. 

Maybe that’s why I despair for the future. I have two beautiful grandchildren whose journeys are just beginning. But what sort of world will they inherit from me?

Media Release

30 April 2020

Today's news that coal mining giant Peabody Energy will be cutting its workforce by ten per cent shows the danger of relying on resource industries according to Mackay Conservation Group.

Peabody Energy says it will lay off 570 staff in Australia and the United States as it grapples with the effects of bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Voting in council elections can be difficult. Even long term residents can find it hard to find candidates that they can confidently say represent their values or policy views.

With this in mind, the Mackay Conservation Group surveyed all 21 candidates running for election in the Mackay Regional Council about their views on key climate change issues.

The survey asked council candidates to share their views on three questions all related to climate change. Candidates were asked to respond by indicating their level of support.

The questions were:

• Do you support Mackay Regional Council declaring a climate emergency?
• Will you support Mackay Regional Council planning for a zero net emissions regional economy by 2050?
• Do you support the diversification of the Mackay region’s economy and a just transition for workers in thermal coal mines?

Sign the petition here