Potter's Geography: A case study of a specific development where conflicts exist between economic development and environmental damage.

The Galilee Basin, Queensland, Australia

Coal Mine Proposal

1. Where is the Galilee Basin?

2. What resources does the Galilee Basin have?

The Galilee Basin is a 247,000 square kilometre thermal coal basin in the central region of the Australian state of Queensland. It is one of the largest untapped coal reserves on the planet.

3. Who are the stakeholders?

The Environmental Impact Survey process has involved consultation with a significant number of stakeholders including:

elected representatives,
federal and state government agencies
non-governmental agencies,
local councils,
Indigenous representatives,
the private sector,
public organisations
local residents

There is strong opposition to the proposed coal projects from local farmers, indigenous traditional owners, environmentalists and the broader community concerned about the potential impact on water resources, climate, threatened species and the Great Barrier Reef. A number of the proposed coal projects are currently being challenged in the courts.

4. What is the economic impact?

The Carmichael mine ($6.4bn project) is one of nine proposed new mega mines in the Galilee Basin, which together make it the second biggest fossil fuel expansion proposed anywhere in the world (after Western China).

It is predicted the mine will support 3,500 jobs during construction and 2,325 more when operational.

Open Cast Coal Mine, Australia

5. What are the potential impacts of the new mega mines?

Global Impacts:

Should these go ahead, the Galilee Basin mines will double Australia's carbon emissions and burn through six percent of the world's remaining carbon budget.

The China First mine will process a maximum of 40m tonnes of coal a year, which would release an estimated 85.6m tonnes of CO2 once burned, slightly more than the annual emissions of Romania.

Local And Regional Impacts

It is estimated that the coal complex in the Galilee would consume 2007 billion litres (or gigalitres) of water over the life of the mines, dramatically dropping the regional water table and reducing groundwater resources in one of the driest continents on the planet.

The mines would also destroy several high conservation value areas, including the Bimblebox Nature Refuge

Conservationists are deeply opposed to the project because it would wipe out half of the 8,000-hectare Bimblebox Nature Refuge, home to koalas and about 150 bird species, including the endangered black-throated finch and the vulnerable red goshawk. There are also concerns over the amount of groundwater it will use.

The coal mine is approximately 400km from the coast, with no existing rail line and little existing water, power and service infrastructure.

The project will involve the building of a 453km rail line to transport coal from the mine to the Abbot Point port, where it will be shipped to export markets over 30 years.

The new railway is proposed to run across floodplains and agricultural land to the coast, and is opposed by landholders.

The development of the Galilee Basin is the driver for the proposed expansion of coal ports along the Great Barrier Reef coast, which is causing international concern.

Indian companies Adani and GVK, supporters of the Carmichael and Alpha coal mines – two of the largest mines proposed for the Galilee – plan to develop one of the biggest coal export terminals in the world at Abbot Point, on the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef’s coastline

WWF Australian Government approves massive coal port in Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area

· Posted on 22 December 2015

Australia’s Environment Minister Greg Hunt has approved 1 million cubic metres of dredging in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area for the expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal.

6. Why is there concern about the expansion of the port?

The waters around Abbot Point port are home to dugongs, sea turtles and snubfins dolphins. The expansion project involves dredging for a major new coal terminal, with dredge spoil to be dumped on land adjacent to wetlands that are home to thousands of migratory birds.

“It’s disappointing that the Minister has approved this project within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, despite the damage it will do,” Ms Matthiesson said.

“To expand the port, 61 hectares of seabed will be ripped up creating 1.1 million cubic metres of dredge spoil.

“Damaging dredge plumes will be created harming sea grass and potentially reaching nearby coral reefs."

Coral cannot survive when smothered in sediment.

The development of coal export terminals on the Great Barrier Reef for Galilee Basin coal has been particularly opposed by tourism operators who fear the destruction of the $6bn per annum tourism industry and by fishers, scientists and conservationists.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has expressed concern about the industrialisation of the Reef.

Many of the world’s biggest banks, including Morgan Stanley, Citibank and Deutsche Bank, have pledged not to fund the development of coal export terminals on the Reef.