Electric Trike#Queensland’s department of the environment has #recommended the green light for a new #BHP #mine in central Queensland.
The Saraji East underground mine would mine a seam adjacent to its existing open cut mine in #Dysart.
The company announced the closure of another mine in the complex earlier this year, blaming what the industry calls the world’s highest coal royalties.
BHP has three mines working through the environmental assessment process.
A spokesperson for the company said the decision helps it “preserve future development options in Queensland”:
Any future decisions on capital investment or development are separate to the #assessment process.
“As previously announced by BHP, we are not committing to investing in any expansion or growth of our operations in Queensland, under the Queensland Government’s unsustainable royalty regime.”
#LocktheGateAlliance Queensland coordinator, Maggie McKeown, said the mine would clear hundreds of hectares of #koala and #greaterglider #habitat, drain 8,857 megalitres of #groundwater, emit 320m tonnes of #C02 and operate until 2045:
“This new #coalmine exposes BHP as crying poor over royalties. BHP can’t claim Queensland’s royalty rates are stymying investment while at the same time building new polluting coalmines.” #auspol #ClimateCrisis
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