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The Australian Conservation Foundation has challenged the Federal Court’s judgement that ruled as lawful the approval of plans to start Australia’s biggest coal mine along the Great Barrier Reef coastline. ACF disputes the environment minister’s argument in court that the burning of coal from the proposed Carmichael mine will not have an impact on global warming and the reef.

“This is a profound moment in the history of protecting Australia’s environment, as we attempt to stop a coal mine that would create 4.6 billion tonnes of climate pollution if it is allowed to proceed,” said ACF’s President Geoff Cousins.

“Australia’s system of environment laws is broken if it allows the federal environment minister to approve a mega-polluting coal mine – the biggest in Australia’s history – and claim it will have no impact on the global warming and the reef. If our environment laws are too weak to actually protect Australia’s unique species and places, they effectively give companies like Adani a licence to kill.”

“Be in no doubt, Adani’s Carmichael proposal is massive and will lock in decades of damaging climate pollution if it goes ahead, further wrecking the reef,” the foundation argues in a media release. “The science is clear that we can have coal or the reef – but we can’t have both.”

“In our original legal challenge, Justice Griffiths recognised that there was considerable public interest in ACF’s case and we are in no doubt that we represent the concerns of the majority of Australians.” 

The traditional Aboriginal owners of the land proposed to be mined, the Wangan and Jagalingou people, have also vowed to keep fighting the project and have also filed an action in the federal court.