Minns accused of bypassing high court ruling with laws to allow NSW mine to increase coal production by 32%
Bill to authorise production expansion at Mount Pleasant coalmine, subject to a landmark high court decision, criticised as ‘legislative overreach’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Minns government says it will introduce special legislation to allow a mine in the New South Wales Hunter Valley that was the subject of high court proceedings to increase its coal…
Premier Chris Minns is facing criticism for allegedly bypassing a high court ruling to allow a NSW mine to increase coal production by 32%. The government says the bill will authorise MACH Energy to increase coal output at its Mount Pleasant coalmine from 12.5 million tonnes per year to 16.5 million tonnes until 2032. This move comes less than two weeks after the high court ruled that an earlier expansion of the mine was invalid.
The government claims the legislation is necessary to address "unique legal uncertainty" and to save 400 jobs at the site before Christmas. However, environmental groups and opposition parties argue that the government is bypassing the planning process and the law, and that the bill is a form of "legislative overreach" and will lead to increased coal pollution.
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