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The NSW Court of Criminal Appeal’s overturning of the Land & Environment Court’s conviction of Maules Creek Coal for incompetent blasting should be seen as an unmistakable message to the NSW Independent Planning Commission not to rely on promises by Minister Paul Scully’s Planning Department that “strict controls” and “a robust regulatory regime that is … Read more
A succession of witnesses has appeared before the Justice Richard Beasley of the NSW Land and Environment Court in the prosecution of Maules Creek Coal mine for a series of 8 breaches of its Environmental Protection Licence. The charges arose after the Whitehaven Coal-owned mine caused dangerous levels of orange, red and purple nitrogen dioxide … Read more
North West Protection Advocacy (NWPA) has lodged an Internal Review Application against the Queensland Government’s approval of the Ironbark gas expansion project under Environmental Authority EPPG00968013. Our original submission can be read here. The approval allows: After reviewing the approval documents, scientific literature and government reports, NWPA believes the decision raises serious concerns about groundwater, … Read more
After years of delay, legal manoeuvring, and failed attempts to shut the case down, the prosecution in Environmental Protection Authority v Maules Creek Coal Pty Ltd will finally open this Wednesday (29th April 2026) at 2:00 PM in Court 5B of the NSW Land and Environment Court. (Feature image courtesy of a Whitehaven Coal worker). … Read more
This submission (see below for copy) is made in relation to the proposed amendment to Environmental Authority EPPG00968013 (Ironbark) (the “EA”), including activities proposed within PL1106. The submission is made under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld) (EP Act) and is confined to matters relevant to the EA amendment decision, including the adequacy of information … Read more
If you travel the red dirt tracks deep inside the Pilliga Forest on Gomeroi traditional land, you may come to a large cleared area where Santos, the gas company, has constructed a massive well pad. It is called Dewhurst 43. To provide access to Dewhurst 43 for heavy vehicles, road base has been placed on … Read more
Over the past year, the Queensland Government has promoted new exploration acreage and highlighted the economic potential of deeper onshore petroleum development, including in the Taroom Trough. At the same time, there has been a noticeable increase in applications to amend existing Environmental Authorities (EAs) to include hydraulic fracture stimulation (HFS), disposal of drilling residuals, … Read more
For the 2nd year in a row community has been asked to respond at the busiest time of year to over 1,000 pages of documentation for the Narrabri Lateral Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This timing seems a deliberate tactic by Santos to decrease meaningful engagement and evade thorough scrutiny. Quite frankly, after fifteen+ years of … Read more
Santos’ contractors, Anderson Environmental & Planning (AEP) of Newcastle, have been conducting “scouting, sampling and survey” work inside the Pilliga Forest under a Forest Permit issued by NSW Forestry Corporation for the Narrabri Lateral Pipeline Survey. The permit—clearly visible on a contractor’s vehicle parked at Smithers Gate, the eastern entry to the forest—appears linked to … Read more
Santos and Narrabri Council have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the supply of coal seam gas. The Media Release from Santos is chock-a-block full of spin, codewords and obfuscations – we’ve decoded it in this series of graphics and asked some important questions. At the time this agreement was signed, Santos was … Read more