The NSW Labor government will introduce a law to let MACH Energy expand output at its Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Upper Hunter. The move responds to a High Court ruling that invalidated the expansion approval, finding the NSW Independent Planning Commission failed to consider regional pollution and downstream emissions. Premier Chris Minns says the law would guarantee 400 direct jobs until 2032. Environmental group DAMSHEG and Greens MLC Sue Higginson have criticised the move, while the Minerals Council welcomed it. Retired judge Anthony Whealy has called for an independent review.
Barrister Geoffrey Watson has condemned the New South Wales government's plan to introduce special laws allowing more coal production at the Mount Pleasant mine near Muswellbrook. The High Court earlier ruled the mine's approval was invalid. Premier Chris Minns said the bill would let MACH Energy raise output by 32 per cent and save 400 jobs. Watson and former judge Anthony Whealy said the move overrides a court decision. The NSW Greens questioned the job claims, and the government said any compliance investigation is a matter for the regulator.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced laws to let the Mount Pleasant coalmine in the Hunter Valley keep operating at expanded rates, despite a recent High Court ruling against its approval. Retired Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy said the move obliterated the legal process and called for an independent review. The government says the laws will protect 400 jobs while court proceedings continue. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann accused the government of state capture. The planning department is also investigating the mine over alleged breaches of its coal production limits.
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The NSW government will introduce legislation allowing MACH Energy to raise annual coal output at its Mount Pleasant mine near Muswellbrook by 4 million tonnes, to 16.5 million tonnes, until 2032. Premier Chris Minns said the bill was needed to protect 400 jobs before Christmas. The move follows a high court ruling that the approval of an expansion at the mine was invalid. Environmental groups and a lawyer who acted in the case criticised the plan, saying it bypasses the planning process and the court's decision.
Climate activists have condemned a New South Wales government move to protect jobs at the Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Hunter region, calling it dangerous political interference. The High Court had backed a challenge by community environmentalists, upholding a finding that planning bodies must weigh the climate effects of downstream emissions. Premier Chris Minns said the one-off intervention was needed to avoid production cuts and protect at least 400 jobs, adding that he had agonised over the choice. Lock the Gate and Greens MP Sue Higginson argued the legislation would allow significant unassessed climate pollution.
The High Court has ruled in favour of Rachel Smith, a convicted drug trafficker, who wants to freeze her eggs while in prison. Smith, 36, was sentenced to ten years in Queensland in July 2021. She argued she should be able to preserve her ability to have children after her release, and offered to pay for the procedure herself. The court found Queensland courts had misread the Corrective Services Act, which does not bar egg freezing for this purpose. The matter now returns to Queensland Corrective Services to decide whether the procedure can go ahead.
Australia's High Court has ruled that Rachel Smith, a 36-year-old serving a 10-year prison term in Queensland, can apply to freeze her eggs while behind bars. Smith is serving time for trafficking in a dangerous drug. The court found the Queensland courts had misread the Corrective Services Act, and it ordered the prison authority to reconsider her application under the law. The judges said Smith was likely to lose fertility before her parole. The decision may open the way for other Queensland prisoners to seek egg freezing.
A woman serving a 10-year prison term in Queensland has won a High Court challenge to freeze her eggs from behind bars. Rachel Smith had applied to the state's prison authority to undergo the procedure at her own cost, but Queensland Corrective Services argued it was banned under the Corrective Services Act 2006. The High Court found the Queensland courts had misconstrued the Act and ordered the prison authority to reconsider her application according to law. The judges also ordered the authority to pay Smith's legal costs.
The High Court has dismissed an appeal by the owner of the Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Upper Hunter, in the first climate case to reach the court. The community group DAMSHEG won 3-2, with its leaders, Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan, both former Greens candidates. The majority found the NSW Planning Commission failed to consider cutting emissions, including Scope 3 emissions from burning the coal overseas. Legal experts say the judgement is narrow and does not decide whether climate impacts can justify refusing a fossil fuel project.
A High Court appeal has been heard in Canberra on October 7 in the final stage of a three-year legal fight against the Victorian Government's plan to demolish 44 public housing towers. The challenge, brought by Inner Melbourne Community Legal on behalf of residents of the first three towers, argues residents should have been given procedural fairness before the demolition plans were announced in 2023. The Court of Appeal has ordered that tenants of the three towers cannot be evicted while the appeal is pursued. Most former residents have been relocated. The outcome could take several months.
The High Court has ruled search warrants used in raids on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's homes were unlawful. The warrants allowed police to search Royal Lodge in Windsor and a property on the Sandringham Estate in February. Mr. Justice Hilliard found the warrants were not lawfully issued and should be quashed, but material seized does not have to be returned immediately due to the ongoing investigation. Thames Valley Police confirmed the investigation into alleged misconduct in public office remains ongoing.
Resources Minister Madeleine King has downplayed the impact of a recent High Court ruling on fossil fuel industries, asserting that it pertains specifically to a planning approval process in New South Wales. She emphasised that the decision does not threaten jobs, as the Mount Pleasant mine will continue operations until 2032. King noted that the ruling sets no precedent for other states, as each has its own legislation. She praised the Minns Government's coal industry policy for providing certainty to the sector.
The High Court has ruled that the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission must consider all greenhouse gas emissions, including scope 3 emissions, when approving fossil fuel projects. The decision has sparked concern in the resources sector and opposition from conservative politicians, who argue it could cripple the Australian fossil fuel industry. The case involved MACH Energy's proposed expansion of the Mount Pleasant coalmine near Muswellbrook, which would add roughly twice Australia's total annual greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
The High Court has ruled that planning authorities must consider overseas emissions when approving projects, a decision that could deter investors, according to the coal industry. The ruling came after a New South Wales community group successfully challenged a coal mine expansion in the Hunter Valley. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has said the state's laws are robust and will be amended if necessary, while industry groups express concerns about the broader implications for mining projects and jobs.
The High Court of Australia ruled on October 7 that the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission must consider the climate impact of exporting fossil fuels. It upheld a NSW Court of Appeal decision that invalidated the expansion approval of MACH Energy’s open-cut thermal coal mine at Mount Pleasant. The High Court found the commission had not considered how pollution from the coal would affect the region. The ruling means the mine’s expansion approval to 2048 is invalid, though it can operate until 2032. Climate activists view the decision as a landmark judgement.
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The High Court has overturned the approval of a coal mine expansion in the Hunter Valley after ruling that planning authorities failed to consider overseas emissions. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to introduce overriding legislation to repeal laws requiring consideration of scope three emissions. The ruling has raised questions about whether it could set a national precedent, with NSW Greens MLC Sue Higginson criticising the coal approval process. Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King has dismissed the need for federal intervention, stating that the NSW government is capable of resolving the issue.
The high court has overturned a coalmine expansion approval in the Hunter Valley, a decision that could impact other coal developments in New South Wales. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed support for existing coal industries, contrasting with his statements at a climate conference in Fiji. The conference highlighted the severe climate threats facing Pacific nations like Tuvalu, which is experiencing rapid sea level rise and land erosion. Albanese called for more international investment in the Pacific Resilience Facility to help the region cope with climate change impacts.
Australia’s highest court has ruled that the approval of a coalmine expansion in NSW was invalid, setting a precedent for fossil fuel projects. The court found the state’s Independent Planning Commission failed to consider imposing conditions to minimise greenhouse gas emissions generated by the mine when the coal is sold and burnt overseas. NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson said the judgment could lead to legal challenges for other coalmine approvals, including the Hunter Valley Operations extension.
The High Court has blocked the expansion of the Mount Pleasant coal mine in NSW, ruling that project approvals must account for broad environmental impacts. The decision follows a years-long community campaign and is the first of its kind in Australia. Environmental campaigners have welcomed the ruling, calling it a victory for all Australians and urging the government to move away from fossil fuels. MACH Energy, which sought to extend the mine's life, has accepted the court's decision.
