with Cairns and Bamaga FLY WITH A QUEENSLANDER

The Queensland Land Court’s recommendation to refuse the massive Galilee Coal Project will stand after Waratah Coal dropped its legal appeal last Friday.

The news was welcomed by Youth Verdict and The Bimblebox Alliance, who argued before the Land Court the mine would destroy the nature refuge and infringe the human rights of people in Queensland by contributing to dangerous climate change.

Environmental Defenders Office

Senior Solicitor Alison Rose said it was “very significant” that President Kingham’s decision would stand.

“This mine would have destroyed the Bimblebox Nature Refuge and added 1.5 billion tonnes of climate pollution to the atmosphere,” she said.

“It is likely that these impacts will now be avoided because these emissions will now stay safely locked in the ground where they belong.

“All the evidence tells us that there is no room for new fossil fuel development if we are to have any chance of a liveable planet.

“This case marks a line in the sand and sends a very clear message – continued development of coal in 2023 is incompatible with our human rights.”

In a legal first, the Land Court travelled out on-Country to Gimuy (Cairns) and Erub and Poruma islands in Zenadth Kes to hear oral evidence about how climate change is currently affecting people’s ability to practice and develop culture, live on country and protect their country.

The Land Court found that if the mine were to be approved, burning the coal overseas would contribute to further climate change that limits the human rights of people in Queensland, including the cultural rights of First Nations Peoples.