The Minns government introduced special legislation into NSW parliament this week to grant billion-dollar coal corporation MACH Energy permission to expand production at its Mount Pleasant coal mine, overriding a High Court victory that exposed serious failures in the assessment of the mine’s climate impacts.
The extraordinary intervention puts the interests of the coal industry ahead of the rule of law, community rights and climate protection, setting a dangerous precedent where corporations can use political allies to overturn the consequences of successful legal challenges.
NSW Greens MP, solicitor, and spokesperson for Planning and Climate Change Sue Higginson said, ‘Chris Minns is putting coal corporations above the law. The coal industry has such a hold over this Labor government that when a billion-dollar coal corporation loses in court, the premier steps in to change the law for them.’
Communities v. coal
‘Communities fought this coal expansion through the courts and won,’ she said.
‘The High Court upheld their challenge and confirmed that the climate impacts of burning exported coal must be properly considered and at the time of the decision to approve or refuse the mining of that coal.
‘Now the government is using its power in parliament to circumvent the consequences of that decision and deny communities the legal protections they fought to uphold,’ said Ms Higginson.
‘The coal industry has spent decades buying political influence through donations, lobbying and privileged access to decision-makers. This legislation is the result of a political system that allows the corporations responsible for driving the climate crisis to exercise extraordinary influence over the laws that are supposed to regulate them.
‘Labor has accepted MACH Energy’s claims about threatened job losses without publicly demonstrating that hundreds of jobs are actually at risk. The mine already has approval to operate until 2032, and was advertising for new jobs within hours of Minns announcing they would give them what they demanded.’
Climate crisis
‘Every additional tonne of coal extracted from Mount Pleasant will contribute to the climate crisis that is already costing communities across NSW their homes, livelihoods and futures,’ said Sue Higginson.
‘The government knows the consequences of expanding coal production, but it’s choosing to protect the commercial interests of the coal industry instead of the people who will bear those costs.
‘Chris Minns is setting a dangerous precedent that the law applies to everyone except the coal corporations with enough political influence to have it changed.
‘The Greens will oppose this legislation and we will continue to stand with the communities fighting for climate justice, environmental protection and the right to hold powerful corporations accountable,’ said Ms Higginson.
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