A legal challenge has been lodged against Australia’s environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, claiming she did not adequately consider climate risks when approving two new coal mining projects.
The action, filed in the Federal Court of Australia, seeks a judicial review of the minister’s decision, arguing there were legal errors because Plibersek did not consider the potential harms of climate change.
In May, Plibersek approved four new coal mines in the country, including the Mount Pleasant Mine (New South Wales or NSW), Narrabri Underground Mine (NSW), Ensham Mine (Qld), and Isaac River (Qld).
The current action, lodged by Environmental Justice Australia on behalf of the small activist group the Environment Council of Central Queensland, targets the two NSW projects of Mount Pleasant and Narrabri….