Conservation Council of WA

Western Australia's peak environmental group has strongly welcomed Environment Minister Bill Marmion's decision to uphold the advice of the Environmental Protection Agency to reject a coal mining proposal south of Eneabba in the State's Central-West.

Conservation Council of WA Director Piers Verstegen said, "The Conservation Council commends Minister Marmion for backing the EPA in its decision to reject coal mining in this very sensitive and unique part of our state.

"Minister Marmion has clearly been listening to the thousands of ordinary West Australians who want to see an appropriate balance struck between mining and protection of the environment.

"This proposal was wrong for many reasons. The proposed mine would have fed a new coal-fired power plant that, if constructed, would contribute 4.227 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year for decades.

"Another polluting coal-fired power station is the last thing we need in the Central-West region where renewable energy resources are so plentiful.

"In addition, the project would have had a major impact on groundwater, and highly sensitive groundwater-dependent ecosystems in the region including the Lake Logue Nature Reserve."

"Groundwater in the Mid-West and Central-West regions, including the Lake Logue Nature Reserve, is also under serious threat from a number of gas fracking proposals

"Minister Marmion's decision today should send a strong warning to other coal and gas fracking proponents, and their investors, that they should not assume their projects will be approved in WA.

"There is no community support for coal mining in WA and the industry lacks a social license to operate. However, there are currently proposals for new coal mines in the Kimberley and just 70 kilometres north of Esperance.

"The proponents and investors for these projects must be aware that they will face very strong opposition from environment groups and the local community, making the projects extremely risky ventures."