Today, 23rd December, 2022, Clive Palmer’s Waratah Coal has applied for a Judicial Review of President Kingham’s Land Court decision on 25th November, to recommend refusal of both the ML and the EA for the Galilee Coal Project.

We think this means all of the objectors – TBA, YV and the Brinnands – and President Kingham will be under review. We will update you when we know more, after January 9, 2023, when EDO can advise us.

‘The rejection of the Drug Dealers Defence was a legal first for Queensland and a very substantial departure from previous decisions of the Land Court in similar cases.

While other factors were important in the decision, including the value of the Bimblebox Nature Refuge and uncertainty of offsets, the rejection of the Drug Dealers Defence really lies at the heart of the decision in many ways and was central to the ultimate decision to recommend rejecting the mine.

Seen in the context of decisions to approve coal mines over the past decade, this decision is immensely significant for environmental and human rights law in Queensland and Australia.’

http://envlaw.com.au/waratah/?fbclid=IwAR2Rhze3sHFGUPCbrCabigTEPzLv_zbekWymsg9qUpL1S_BlHBC97FXUMP8

https://inqld.com.au/business/2022/11/25/clive-cops-a-beating-in-court-as-waratah-coal-mine-fails-environment-test/

Today in the QLD Land Court President Kingham has recommended that both applications by Waratah Coal be refused. 

The grounds were greatly about the value of Bimblebox as a Protected Area, its very high ecological condition, under-representation in the region, the wider community who use it, the likelihood of its loss if a mine went ahead, and the uncertainty of the subsidence damage and any remediation.

This is great news for Nature… and for all nature refuges.

The economic benefit of the mine did not stack up against the carbon that the coal to be mined would contribute to global warming when burnt, both globally and in QLD.

The Human Rights limitations on both the BNR owners and the generations to be impacted by climate change, including First Nations Peoples, were not considered to be justified.

TBA thanks the wonderful legal team at EDO, and all our supporters. We will keep you informed of what may come next, but for now we can breathe again, and celebrate! 

You can read the full judgement here.

Our terrific 2023 Calendar is now available, featuring artworks that resulted from the recent  inspiring Art, Science and Nature camp at Bimblebox. This is our main fundraiser each year, to help us continue the fight for Bimblebox… and all nature refuges.