The state of New South Wales has approved the Hunter Valley Operations mine, the largest coal‑mining development in the state’s history. Matt Kean, chair of the Climate Change Authority and former treasurer and energy minister, criticised the decision, saying the Independent Planning Commission did not weigh the economic cost of the climate damage that burning the coal would cause.
The commission said greenhouse gases from the mine would affect people, economy and environment locally and globally but that those impacts were outweighed by local benefits such as employment, economic activity, support for local business, and revenue from royalties and taxes.
Premier Chris Minns welcomed the approval, describing it as the right decision and hugely important for the state economy. He highlighted the jobs created and the billions of dollars in royalties that would flow to the NSW government, while omitting any reference to the mine’s projected climate impact.
Kean noted that the mine’s owners, Yancoal and Glencore, estimate 809 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, almost twice Australia’s annual climate pollution. He cited a UN Environment Programme report warning that the world is moving beyond 1.5 °C and that every fraction of a degree raises costs. Greens deputy leader Steph Hodgins‑May urged the Albanese government to postpone approval before the Cop 31 summit, warning that the project contradicts Australia’s stated commitment to a fossil‑fuel transition.
