Koalas will have no impact on the mine. It's standard to employ...

Koalas will have no impact on the mine. It's standard to employ fauna spotter-catchers when they do the clearance (which they would be doing anyway regardless) and the actual areal extent of the pit is negligible. Any koalas in the mine area would be caught and relocated, along with any other fauna in the area. It's bread and butter for any mining company's environmental science team, happens all the time.

But economics may succeed in killing it where a handful of Lue locals and their grey furry friend fail. If so, that's fair enough - but it would be a real shame if it didn't proceed due to the misinformation campaign of a handful of locals, denying jobs that are desperately, desperately needed in nearby towns like Kandos and Rylstone.