Crisafulli Government follows Federal Coalition putting fossil fuel interests over people and nature

The Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) says today's announcement to fast-track a mega coal and gas project in Central Queensland proves the Crisafulli Government is following the Federal Coalition down a path paved by the fossil fuel industry at the expense of Queensland communities and nature.

The Centurion North Development Project has been designated a 'coordinated project', granting it 'streamlined' assessment outside of the normal environmental laws including Coordinator-General discretion. QCC says this special treatment benefits the shareholders of fossil fuel corporations while leaving Queenslanders to shoulder the climate, nature, and cost-of-living consequences.

The project would mine up to 7.1 million tonnes of coal and extract up to 10 petajoules of coal seam gas every year until 2055, despite 80 countries signing onto a roadmap to end fossil fuel dependence last week at COP30 because of their driving role in the climate crisis.

Queensland Conservation Council campaigner, Ms Charlie Cox, says

The Crisafulli Government is bending over backwards to pander to coal and gas billionaires who’ve spent the past year throwing a tantrum about having to pay Queenslanders their fair share of coal royalties.

We’ve seen the Federal Coalition walk away from Net Zero, and now we're seeing that same fossil-fuel agenda mirrored here in Queensland. Queenslanders are already living with more intense heat, cyclones, flooding, and habitat loss. The Centurion North project would exacerbate climate change by releasing huge amounts of pollution here and overseas.

Fast-tracking this project under the guise of ‘streamlining’ is simply the Crisafulli Government prioritising fossil fuel profits over nature and communities.

The Crisafulli Government knows that royalties are popular with regions who want to see investment in their future, so they’re looking for other ways to pander to the fossil fuel industry.

A responsible government should invest in clean industries, protect precious ecosystems, and build long-term resilience. Fast-tracking mega coal and gas projects does the opposite, giving fossil fuel corporations a faster, easier route to climate and nature destruction. It’s disappointing to see our elected representatives falling to industry pressure, like their Federal Coalition colleagues have.

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