Queensland Government Approves Glencore's Hail Creek Coalmine Expansion
The Queensland state government has granted approval for the expansion of the Hail Creek coalmine, operated by multinational mining giant Glencore, in a move that has sparked significant environmental concerns. The expansion includes clearing 600 hectares of what experts describe as nationally significant koala habitat, located west of Mackay in central Queensland.
Environmental Impact and Climate Concerns
The approval, issued on Wednesday, allows Glencore to extend the mine's lifespan by three years to 2038, enabling the extraction of an additional 24 million tonnes of coal. Despite this, the Queensland environment department assessed the project's risk to biodiversity and its impact on the climate crisis as low, citing minimal global emissions comparison.
However, environmental groups have raised alarms, labeling the expansion a carbon bomb. Freja Leonard, a climate campaigner at the Australian Conservation Foundation, highlighted that Hail Creek is responsible for approximately 20% of Australia's coalmine methane emissions while producing only 1% of the country's coal. Queensland is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions nationally, and the Hail Creek carbon bomb is a huge part of the problem, she stated.
UN-backed research from 2025 suggests the mine's methane emissions may be three to eight times higher than officially reported. Emeritus Professor Peter Rayner, an atmospheric physicist, emphasized that methane is a super-pollutant, 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and responsible for a third of recent global warming. Extending Hail Creek locks in significant emissions for decades to come, endangering pathways to net zero and Australia's compliance with the Paris Agreement, he warned.
Calls for Federal Intervention
Environmental organizations, including the Lock the Gate Alliance and Queensland Conservation Council, have called on Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to intervene. They argue that the expansion contradicts climate commitments and exacerbates climate impacts, such as floods and bushfires affecting Queensland communities.
Dr. Claire Gronow, central Queensland coordinator for Lock the Gate Alliance, noted that the approval condemns Queenslanders to more climate chaos, driving up costs for insurance, repairs, and food prices. Charlie Cox from the Queensland Conservation Council added, Disappointingly, the Crisafulli government is willing to bulldoze the home of a nationally significant koala population, but the final decision now sits with federal environment minister Murray Watt.
Glencore's Response and Future Steps
In a statement, Glencore asserted that Hail Creek mine manages and reduces greenhouse emissions in compliance with the national safeguard mechanism. The company committed to implementing a greenhouse gas abatement plan and exploring emission reduction technologies as part of the extension project.
The expansion has been referred to the federal government, which is considering whether it requires assessment under national environment laws. As of now, Murray Watt's office and relevant departments have not commented on the matter.
