The High Court of Australia will hear a challenge from MACH Energy over its proposed Mt Pleasant coal mine expansion near Muswellbrook, marking the first time the nation’s top court will consider climate change in a mining approval.
The case follows a July decision by the NSW Court of Appeal, which ruled that planning authorities should have considered the local climate impacts of the expansion. That ruling overturned earlier approval by the NSW Planning Department.
Denman, Aberdeen, Muswellbrook, and Scone Healthy Environment Group Inc (DAMS HEG) president Wendy Wales said the group is ready to defend its historic win. “Our win established that the impacts of climate change locally must be considered when approving fossil fuel projects,” Wales said.
Law firm Johnson Legal, representing DAMS HEG, said the matter is of national importance. Principal lawyer Anita O’Hart said, “Australian communities are being impacted by greenhouse gas induced climate change, including bushfires, drought, and soaring insurance costs.”
The High Court hearing is expected to set a precedent for how climate impacts are assessed in future fossil fuel projects across Australia.
