A shocking new report, ‘Koalas or coal mines, how the federal government can help save Australia’s most iconic species’ reveals that federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is facing approval decisions on 23 new coal mines and expansions in NSW and Queensland that are proposing to clear thousands of hectares of endangered koala habitat and produce more than 8 billion tonnes of carbon pollution.
The research concludes that at least 26 proposed new coal mines will clear important koala habitat, including 23 projects that are being assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act and seeking approval from the Albanese government and three projects that have not yet been referred for EPBC assessment. The 26 coal mining projects plan to clear a combined total of 11,644 hectares of koala habitat if granted approval by the federal government, an area equivalent to 112 square kms, which is around 5,822 MCG sized sporting fields, or 41 times the size of Sydney’s CBD.
The report highlights the perilous situation Australia’s endangered koalas are facing from the dual threats of habitat destruction from land clearing and climate change, and assesses the potential climate pollution of the proposed coal mines should they be granted approvals.
The 26 proposed coal mines planning to clear koala habitat would be responsible for at least 8.2 billion tonnes of climate pollution, if they are approved and proceed. That's more climate pollution than what Australia has emitted over the last decade (approximately 5.195 billion tonnes of CO₂).
The federal government’s National Recovery Plan for the koala predicts that by 2030 more than 20% of koala habitat is likely to be impacted by climate change, and the loss of optimal habitat because of climate change may outpace losses from land use change within the next decade. However, dozens of new coal mines planning to clear koala habitat and produce harmful climate pollution are seeking Minister Plibersek’s approval.
The report has been released by Koalas Not Coal, an alliance of climate and conservation groups including Lock the Gate, Nature Conservation Council NSW, and the Queensland Conservation Council. The groups are calling on the federal government to reject all of the 26 proposed new coal mines and expansions, to protect koalas from habitat destruction and the devastating impacts of climate change.
Queensland Conservation Council Nature Campaigner Natalie Frost:
“One of Australia’s most iconic animals is facing a dire future. Endangered koalas are being pushed to the brink of extinction from the destruction of their habitat, and the devastating impacts of climate collapse. Tanya Plibersek must reject these disastrous new koala-killing coal mines to address the two biggest threats to the species - habitat destruction and climate change.
“Eastern Australia is a global deforestation hotspot and with decades of habitat destruction, it's crucial that remaining forests and woodlands are protected. The Albanese government does have the power to protect our forests and save koalas by stopping these proposed coal mines.
“Minister Plibersek has pledged ‘no new extinctions’ but has failed to rule out allowing new coal mines to clear important koala habitat, despite the very real threat of koala extinction due to habitat destruction and climate change. Minister Plibersek can protect Australia’s koalas from habitat destruction and the worsening impacts of the climate crisis by rejecting proposed new coal mines.”
Lock the Gate Alliance Central QLD Coordinator Claire Gronow:
"Coal mining is a double whammy for Australia’s koalas. Not only does it clear habitat, but climate change, caused by coal, leads to extreme heat and bushfires. Minister Plibersek has the power to protect koalas from both these threats. She must reject planned coal mines in order to keep koalas alive in Central Queensland.
"If Tanya Plibersek approves these coal projects, she is condemning koalas to either a quick death through habitat destruction, or a slow death through the impacts of climate change. Either way they’re headed for extinction if these coal mines are approved. Their fate is in Minister Plibersek’s hands - she should stop cuddling koalas for photo opportunities and start protecting them.”
NSW Nature Conservation Council CEO Jacqui Mumford:
“The window of time to act is rapidly shrinking for the Albanese government to prevent further climate-fuelled catastrophes, and the extinction of the iconic koala. There has never been a more important time to act. Australia’s wildlife and climate can’t afford any more new coal mines and expansions.
“Despite broken federal environment laws that have allowed the expansion of the destructive coal mining industry, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has the power to reject these disastrous new mines now. The minister has committed to no new extinctions. The best thing she can do is stand up to the billionaire coal companies, and act in the interests of all Australians to protect our koalas.”
ENDS
Imagery and vision for use, additional drone footage available upon request
Media contacts:
Anna Greer - NSW Nature Conservation Council - 0422 817 530
Ellen Roberts - Lock the Gate Alliance - 0408 583 694
Ed Hill - Koalas not Coal - 0414 199 645
Background on methodology and figures:
The report used publicly available data published in coal companies’ application documents to estimate planned impacts on koala habitat from proposed coal mines; the total area of habitat from mines that have reported their anticipated impacts on koala habitat is more than 11,200 hectares. However, the true scale of koala habitat destruction by proposed coal mines is likely to be significantly larger than this, as some projects examined in the report that will impact koala habitat have not yet published exact figures on the area of koala habitat that is planned to be impacted and therefore the scale of their impacts were not included in the total figure of 11,644 hectares.
For example, BHP’s Peak Downs mine is yet to publish an Environmental Impact Statement so no figures for the area of koala habitat to be impacted are available in any public documents and were therefore excluded from the total figure of 11,200 hectares. However, BHP’s preliminary surveys of the site recorded several koalas and greater gliders in areas earmarked for coal mining. The project area is thousands of hectares in size and the majority of the southern half of the project area is remnant vegetation. The project seeks to expand the existing Peak Downs mine into new areas to extract very large volumes of coal (up to 18 million tonnes a year) for an additional 93 years until 2116. If figures for the proposed area of koala habitat to be impacted by this project were available they would significantly increase the total area of planned impacts detailed in the report.
Further background:
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The koala is listed as endangered under federal and NSW and QLD state laws.
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In 2020, a NSW Parliamentary inquiry found koalas could become extinct by 2050. A new report released in May 2024 found biodiversity in NSW has declined across nearly every indicator since the previous 2020 report.
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NSW, QLD, and federal koala action plans all list habitat destruction and climate change as the biggest threats to the survival of the koala, yet none of these plans adequately address the direct impacts from coal mining. Neither state nor federal governments have ever rejected a coal mine on the basis of unacceptable impacts to koalas.
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Since 2020, 5 coal mines have been approved in NSW by the state and federal governments. In Queensland, 10 projects have been approved, and 4 of these were approved by the Albanese government.
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On the 4th of October 2022, Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek pledged “no new extinctions” in the coming decade. Since then, the Minister has made a string of announcements, particularly regarding the endangered koala, aiming to demonstrate she is protecting them.
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In a press release in Queensland, she stated; “No one wants to imagine an Australia without koalas. The Australian Government is making sure our kids and grandkids will still be able to see koalas in the wild.”