Activists Win Landmark Climate Change Case over MACH Mine Extension
The ruling sets a national precedent and affects 17 coal proposals in the NSW planning pipeline, according to the court.
- On Wednesday, the High Court dismissed MACH Energy's appeal, upholding a ruling that the Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion approval violated mandatory legal obligations under environmental planning law.
- Retired teachers Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan, representing the Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group , challenged the project after it sought to double yearly output to 21 million tonnes.
- Judges ruled the Independent Planning Commission breached s.4.15 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 by failing to assess how exported coal pollution affects local climate risks including bushfires and drought.
- The project's approval remains invalid, requiring referral back to the NSW Land and Environment Court or the IPC for reassessment of the mine's contribution to local climate change impacts.
- Across the NSW planning system, the ruling sets a binding national precedent directly affecting 17 coal proposals currently in the pipeline and establishes a legal template for future climate litigation across Australia.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Activists win landmark climate change case over MACH mine extension
Save (0) Please login to bookmark Close Username or Email Address Password Remember Me A community group has won the first-ever climate change case to go to the High Court, which found Wednesday that a planning authority was required to consider the climate impacts of downstream emissions before approving MACH Energy’s bid to expand its Mount Pleasant coal mine. Subscribe to Lawyerly to access this ar…
Environmental activists achieved a historic victory in the Australian High Court.
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