Queensland government approves clearing 'nationally significant' koala habitat to make way for coal mine extension

The Queensland government has approved an extension to Glencore’s super polluting Hail Creek coal mine on Widi country in Central Queensland, allowing the destruction of 600 hectares of nationally significant koala habitat.

Environmental groups are now calling on the Albanese government to step up and reject the mine's application for federal approval.

Hail Creek is Australia’s most methane-polluting open-cut coal mine. It has attracted global controversy after several peer reviewed studies identified it as a methane 'super polluter' that grossly under-reports its methane pollution. A UNSW study published in 2025 found Hail Creek’s methane pollution could be between three and eight times higher than what it has been reporting to the federal government.

The extension project will mine an additional 29 million tonnes of thermal and metallurgical coal, extending the life of the mine for another three years until 2038 and releasing at least 70 million tonnes of climate pollution into the atmosphere. The approval allows Glencore to clear 600 hectares of 'nationally significant' koala habitat, to expand existing open cut coal pits and dig a new pit adjacent to the Homevale National Park. In June 2025 Lock the Gate conducted thermal drone koala surveys of one small area of the project. The surveys found 13 individual koalas within an area of approximately 160 hectares.

The mine produces thermal and metallurgical coal, in 2024-25 the mine produced 51% thermal coal and 49% metallurgical coal.

Lock the Gate Alliance Central Queensland coordinator Dr Claire Gronow said

The decision condemns Queenslanders to more climate chaos which drives up the cost of insurance, repairs and food prices.

The area contains nationally significant koala habitat 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 their own polluting profits.

Hail Creek is the most methane polluting open cut coal mine in Australia, but the Queensland government has placed no genuine conditions on Glencore to reduce and mitigate their pollution. Glencore says it will complete a study into ‘pre mine drainage’ of methane in two years time, well after mining starts. Pre-mine drainage of harmful methane gas needs to occur pre-mining, not two years after mining commences.

Queensland Conservation Council Coal and gas campaigner Charlie Cox said

Disappointingly, the Crisafulli Government is willing to bulldoze the home of a nationally significant koala population, but the final decision now sits with Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt. Will Minister Watt do his job, prove our national environmental laws actually mean something, and protect koala habitat from being bulldozed, or will he prioritise the profits of a super polluting coal mine?

The Queensland LNP government should be protecting Queenslanders from the dangers of the climate crisis we are already living through, not approving super polluting coal mining projects that will make floods, bushfires, and coral bleaching even worse. Every new coal project locks in more damage and pushes insurance premiums and recovery costs higher for families already stretched to the limit. Queensland communities are still mopping up after some of the worst floods on record. Approving Glencore’s Hail Creek coal mine does not help them, it makes the next disaster more severe.

Hail Creek already pollutes 20% of Australia’s total methane emissions from coal mining, despite producing only 1% of national coal output. Independent studies suggest Glencore may be underestimating these emissions by up to eight times. Cutting methane is one of the fastest ways to slow global warming within our lifetime. Ramping it up with projects like Hail Creek does the exact opposite, accelerating the crisis when we should be slamming the brakes.

Mackay Conservation Group Coordinator Emma Barrett said

With both metallurgical and thermal coal demand forecast to decline significantly, now is a time when the Queensland government should be supporting workers and communities with a plan for a more diversified and stable economy.

The Queensland government's decision to sacrifice a nationally significant population of koalas for three more years of coal mining is short sighted and bloody minded. We should be doing all we can to pull koalas back from the brink of extinction and save their habitat, not destroying the bush where they live just for Glencore to mine coal for a few more years.

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