‘A decision that’s come out of a parallel universe’: Ruling to reject coal mine slammed
A landmark court decision to reject a proposed NSW coal mine on the basis of its expected greenhouse gas emissions has been slammed.
“It was a disappointing afternoon for supporters of baseload power… and an unfortunate win for the global warming doomsayers,” says Chris Smith.
The chief judge of the NSW Land and Environment Court on Friday dismissed an appeal to a decision to not approve the Rocky Hill project near Gloucester.
Justice Brian Preston said the project would increase global greenhouse gas emissions “at a time when what is now urgently needed… is a rapid and deep decrease.”
“In short, an open cut coal mine in this part of the Gloucester Valley would be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said in his judgment.
But Chris Smith disagrees.
“I’d say it’s the right time to be mining clean coal, a desperately appropriate time.”
NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee tells Chris “the ruling against approving the project wasn’t that surprising”.
“What was perhaps was surprising was the decision seems to be saying that somehow NSW needs to be doing more than our national Paris Agreement commitments.
“Putting it into context, NSW does emit less in a year than a country like China does in just a few days.
“So it does seem like a decision that’s come out of a parallel universe.”
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