More than 1,000 hectares of koala habitat would be cleared for proposed Queensland coal mine

[UngulateNerd92]

Campaigners warn of ‘disturbing trend’ of proposed mines falling just below the threshold requiring environmental impact statement.

More than 1,000 hectares of koala habitat – as well as 70 hectares of greater glider habitat – would be cleared to dig coal under a new mine being proposed in central Queensland.

Despite both marsupials being recently listed as endangered due to habitat loss, the proposed mine, which is currently under consideration by the state government, does not require an environmental impact statement (EIS).

Vitrinite’s proposed Vulcan South project is the latest in what environmental campaigners describe as a “disturbing trend” of coal mines being proposed that fall fractionally below the thresholds that trigger the EIS process.

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[Terry Thomas]

The Queensland government authorities have never cared about the environment. Clearing has been carried out for decades. Coal and other mines are given much higher importance, The development of resorts, especially in coastal areas, have been given much more consideration than either the environment, or the affect on such things as corals and dugongs etc.. On a recent trip north, I did notice that there has been quite of lot of regrowth, and I wondered how long it will be before much of it is again destroyed! That is not to say that much clearing of habitat has not, and still is happening, in other states. Leaving a narrow strip of vegetation alongside the roads does not hide the fact that behind these strips the lands have been almost totally cleared for crops. Often these crops fail, due to lack of rains, which surely means that all these grounds would have better left as habitat for many species.