The Queensland Conservation Council is today slamming Premier David Crisafulli's royalty deal with Adani as a betrayal of transparency, nature, and climate. The deal, the details of which have not been made public, apparently allows Adani to defer paying royalties in exchange for expanding its Carmichael coal mine, which is one of the largest and most environmentally destructive coal mines on the planet.

Just weeks ago, it was revealed Adani has paid zero company tax since commencing operations, despite promising to put $22 billion back into the economy.

Map of koalas sighted on 9 June 2025

A new investigation has uncovered a thriving population of endangered koalas living in bushland that Glencore wants to bulldoze to expand its Hail Creek coal mine in Central Queensland. Experts say the koala population is considered to be of "national significance".

Thermal imaging drone surveys detected 13 koalas in just one evening on 9 June 2025, in a 1.6 square kilometre area within the Hail Creek coal mine site.

Read the report, Maximising Queensland's Local Energy Potential (PDF 4.6mb)

Rooftop solar and distributed battery storage could provide up to 60 per cent of Queensland's electricity, according to a new report by the Queensland Conservation Council.

Currently, small-scale solar provides almost 15 per cent of Queensland's electricity. The report found that Queensland's love affair with solar already saved all consumers, including those without solar, an average of $1,000 per household last year alone by reducing grid demand.

The conservation council says government support for energy efficiency upgrades, including household solar and storage, could mean at least 33% of electricity from rooftop solar by 2035, further easing power bills and reducing the State’s emissions by more than 12 per cent.

New figures just released show that Queensland continues to lead the nation in deforestation, and clearing rates have started rising again. The latest statewide landcover and trees study (SLATS) report released by the Queensland Government shows that 332,015ha has been cleared in the latest reporting period, a 3% increase from the previous year's figures, and at least five times higher than recent figures released by New South Wales.

Deforestation in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment areas accounted for 44% (147,705ha) of the state’s total clearing, an increase on previous year’s figures. There was an 8% increase in clearing of remnant forest, areas of forest and woodland that provide important habitat for the state’s wildlife like koalas and greater gliders with 70,799 hectares bulldozed in the reporting period.

The report shows a distressing 21% increase in clearing of endangered regional ecosystems with over 3,000 hectares lost. Endangered regional ecosystems are areas of forest and woodland that are being pushed to the brink of extinction, with many having only relatively small patches remaining.

A 25-year Queensland Future Timber Plan was released today, which aims to maximise native forest logging and will have devastating consequences for the endangered greater glider and other forest dependent threatened animals and plants.

In a policy shift reminiscent of the former Newman Government, the Crisafulli Government's timber plan will rip up the South East Queensland Forest Agreement which would have seen all native State Forests south of Gladstone protected.

Conservationists are urging Queenslanders to demand Minister Perrett stop logging greater glider habitat and focus on expanding plantations to supply the small percentage of native timber needed for housing.

The Queensland Government’s failure to plan for a diversified global economy has left regional communities exposed. That is the message from Queensland Conservation Council and Mackay Conservation Group, following news that Bowen Coking Coal’s is entering voluntary administration, putting 500 regional jobs on the line.

CSIRO has again today confirmed that renewable energy backed by storage is the cheapest option for replacing Australia’s retiring coal power stations. According to the new GenCost report, the cost of solar has reduced by 8 per cent and battery storage has plummeted by a staggering 20 per cent over the last year.

The report found solar and wind firmed by storage and transmission continue to be the cheapest new-build electricity generation, whereas small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) remain the most expensive.

Queensland Conservation Council is urging the Crisafulli Government to put economics over ideology and plan to replace Queensland’s retiring coal-fired power stations with renewable energy backed by storage.

The Queensland Conservation Council has obtained satellite images, cross-referenced with drone footage, indicating coal corporation Magnetic South has commenced building their proposed Gemini coal mine against the advice of the Federal Government and without referring the project for assessment under national environmental laws (EPBC Act). Since May 25th at least 200 hectares of remnant forest has been recklessly cleared in an area earmarked for an open cut coal pit.

Originally published in Gladstone Today, 17 July 2025, on behalf of Queensland Conservation Council and the Australian Conservation Foundation

On Tuesday this week, news broke that the State Government has rejected Fox Resources' bid for a coal mine in the Bundaberg Region. This mining project was met with strong community opposition due to its disruption of agricultural land. Anyone who's enjoyed a Bundaberg strawberry knows those farms are something special!

The decision was in the hands of Attorney-General Deb Frecklington, who said it was not in the public interest for this project to proceed. "Many significant community concerns were raised about the potential impacts of a future coal mine on the region's agricultural industry, water resources, environmental values, livability and tourism industry," a statement said.

Queensland is no longer the most attractive jurisdiction for clean energy investment, according to a new industry survey by the Clean Energy Investor Group (CEIG), which shows NSW now comes out on top. Investors point to planning and policy uncertainty, and government intervention as key challenges undermining confidence in Queensland.

According to the Queensland Conservation Council, these results show that the State Government’s mixed signals on energy are scaring away potential clean energy investment in regional Queensland.

The results of the survey come as the Crisafulli Government confirms they cut $105 million previously earmarked for the development of the Australian Battery Industrialisation Centre: a planned Queensland hub to accelerate and scale domestic battery manufacturing, which also has federal funding.