Environmental groups have called on the federal government to intervene after the extension of Australia’s most methane-polluting opencast coal mine was approved.
The state government on Wednesday backed a proposed expansion of the Hail Creek coal mine in central Queensland, described by conservationists as a “carbon bomb”.
The mine, operated by multinational Glencore, received approval to expand its footprint and extend its useful life by three years, until 2038. The extension project will extract an additional 24 million tons of coal.
The approval will allow Glencore to clear 600 hectares of koala habitat described by experts as “of national importance”, to expand the mine west of Mackay.
In granting approval, Queensland’s environment department deemed the risk to the long-term conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity “low” and the project’s influence on the climate crisis also “low compared to global emissions.”
Hail Creek is the largest methane-using open pit coal mine in Australia. It is responsible for around 20% of Australia’s coal mine methane, while it only produces 1% of the country’s coal, according to Freja Leonard, a climate campaigner at the Australian Conservation Foundation.
“Queensland is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions nationally and the Hail Creek carbon bomb is a big part of the problem,” he said. UN-backed research found in 2025 that methane emissions from the mine were likely three to eight times higher than officially reported.
“At a time when we are seeing an escalation of climate impacts directly affecting Queensland communities, through the risk of flooding… and out-of-season bushfire events, it is absolutely incredible that the Queensland Government is backtracking on its climate commitments,” Leonard said.
“We call on Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to reject Glencore’s proposal to make climate change even worse by expanding Hail Creek.”
The expansion has been referred to the federal government, and the environment department is considering whether it will require an assessment under national environmental laws.
Emeritus Professor Peter Rayner, atmospheric physicist and chief scientist at the Superpower Institute, said: “Methane is a super pollutant, 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide and is responsible for a third of recent global warming.”
“The expansion of Hail Creek ensures significant emissions over the coming decades, which are currently under-reported. This jeopardizes the path to net zero and therefore Australia’s compliance with the Paris Agreement.”
Dr Claire Gronow, central Queensland coordinator for the Lock the Gate Alliance, said the approval “dooms Queenslanders to further climate chaos that drives up the cost of insurance, repairs and food prices”.
“The area contains koala habitat of national importance, and we found a high-density population in the footprint of Glencore’s proposed coal mine using thermal drone technology. Glencore should not be allowed to destroy wildlife refuges for its own polluting profits.”
Queensland Conservation Council campaigner Charlie Cox said: “Unfortunately, the Crisafulli government is set to demolish the home of a nationally important koala population, but the final decision now rests with federal Environment Minister Murray Watt.”
“Queensland communities are still cleaning up after some of the worst flooding on record. The approval of Glencore’s Hail Creek coal mine doesn’t help them, it makes the next disaster more serious.”
Glencore said in a statement: “The Hail Creek mine continues to manage and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the national safeguard mechanism.”
He said the mine, as part of the extension project, had committed to “implement a greenhouse gas reduction plan, conduct a pre-gas drainage study, as well as conduct ongoing reviews of existing and emerging emissions reduction technologies.”
A spokesperson for the federal department of climate change, energy, environment and water said the extension had been “referred for consideration under national environment law. The Minister’s delegate must determine whether this is a controlled action, meaning it would require a thorough assessment before a decision can be made on whether to approve the project under the EPBC Act.”
Queensland’s environment department has been contacted for comment.
