• Australia's environment minister denies coal mine permission near the Great Barrier Reef

    Environment
    Australia's environment minister denies coal mine permission near the Great Barrier Reef
    The mine is owned by Central Queensland Coal and is located in the Styx Coal Basin, close off the coast of central Queensland...

    Digital Desk: On Wednesday, Australia's environment minister refused to approve a new thermal coal project near the Great Barrier Reef owned by mining mogul Clive Palmer.

    The mine is owned by Central Queensland Coal and is located in the Styx Coal Basin, close off the coast of central Queensland.

    "I've determined that the negative environmental consequences are simply too high," Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek stated in a social media video. 

    "The mine is an open-cut coal mine less than 10 kilometres from the Great Barrier Reef, and there is a very serious risk of pollution and irreversible damage to the reef." Minister Tanya Plibersek stated.

    In 10 business days, Plibersek's office received 9,000 public submissions on the topic. Central Queensland Coal did not reply immediately to a request for comment.

    According to environmental scientists, the UNESCO-listed reef, the world's largest coral reef ecosystem, is suffering from the severe impact of climate change and ocean warming.