Climate Change, page-1054

AUST Online just now (extract):
Green lawfare under Labor stalls coal approvals
GEOFF CHAMBERS

Tanya Plibersek has been accused of “aiding and abetting” green lawfare as NSW coalmine extensions stall following failed legal action by the Environment Council of Central Queensland, which industry warns is delaying more than a dozen coal and gas projects.The ECCQ – represented by Environmental Justice Australia – lodged an application on Tuesday for special leave in the High Court to appeal a judgment by the full bench of the Federal Court last month that dismissed its claims. The High Court action is the third legal challenge by the ECCQ after failing twice in the Federal Court to have climate change considerations applied to the approvals process for extensions of the Narrabri and Mount Pleasant coal mines.
.….
Whitehaven Coal managing director and CEO Paul Flynn said “it is beyond ridiculous that the ECCQ is seeking further indulgence from the approving authority of a case which has been comprehensively considered by the minister and the courts, and rejected”.
Mr Flynn urged Ms Plibersek to “take a stand against green lawfare whose sole purpose is to stymie and delay projects that would otherwise help deliver jobs and investment at a time when Australians are facing real economic uncertainty”. “Continuing to indulge taxpayer-funded lawfare preferences the needs of green groups over the job security of Australian workers, those invested in our business (including thousands of shareholders and Australian superannuants) and the energy security of our bilateral trading partners,” he told The Australian. “The minister has considered the ECCQ’s original reconsideration request, and refused it. The Federal Court has considered the ECCQ’s challenge of this refusal, and dismissed it. The full Federal Court has considered the ECCQ’s appeal of this judgment, and dismissed it unanimously. These processes have taken nearly two years and further delays simply cannot be accommodated.”

Mr Flynn said the Narrabri mine stage three extension, backed by Japanese and Korean investors, is “majority Australian-owned and employs nearly 600 people … it helps underpin energy security for some of our closest trading and security partners in the Asian region”.
…….
Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable said “this is another example of the extraordinary hurdles mining companies have to clear to get a project off the ground and create jobs, in what appears a never-ending cycle of appeals and reconsiderations”.
“These projects – which extend existing mines – have been rigorously assessed and scrutinised by both state and federal government regulators over several years. The original reconsideration request, legal challenge to that decision in the Federal Court and the subsequent appeal have already added years of delay,” Ms Constable said.
“Enough is enough. There must be a reasonable end point to this protracted appeals process that is locking up valuable job-creating projects and chasing investment overseas.”
Anthony Albanese recently left the door open to a “climate trigger” after the Greens demanded it be included in return for their support for Labor’s Nature Positive reforms and EPBC revamp.