Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Climate Change spokesperson
The proposal to build a thermal coal mine in the Midlands is dead - wonderful news for action on the climate emergency in lutruwita/Tasmania.
The government’s refusal* to renew Midland Energy’s exploration licences for this dangerous carbon-emitting project are the first step towards the real climate action needed to safeguard Tasmanians into the future.
Even though the Liberals, supported by Labor, voted down the Greens’ motion to ban new thermal coal mines in lutruwita/Tasmania last year, clearly community backlash has forced them to quietly withdraw support for Midland Energy’s project.
Aboriginal Tasmanians, farmers, scientists, tourism operators, academics - people from all walks of life, along with the Greens - are loudly defending our island from an ever-heating climate. Together that voice has forced the Liberals to back down.
Given the Liberals had previously promised $50,000 in taxpayer support for more coal exploration drilling in the Midlands, this is a relieving about-face.
It’s testament to every person who fought against the plan to rip millions of tonnes of thermal coal out of the ground and ship it overseas to fuel the destruction of our climate.**
This massive win follows the welcome news that thermal coal exploration at a separate site near Avoca has been terminated, with the company not applying to renew their licence.***
Now these projects have been scrapped, we call on the the Premier, and Climate Change Minister, Peter Gutwein to recognise the climate emergency, and publicly commit to ruling out future exploration licences for thermal coal in lutruwita/Tasmania.
*The status of the exploration licences for the Midlands project can be viewed here: http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/webdoc2/app/default/licence_detail?id=27660&pa... and here: http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/webdoc2/app/default/licence_detail?id=28620&pa...
** The investment site for Midland Energy - which detailed the proposed mine and extraction plan - has now been taken down, but an archived version of the site can be viewed here: https://web.archive.org/web/20200804032008/https:/midlandenergyamerica.com/
*** The status of the exploration licence for the Junction project can be viewed here: http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/webdoc2/app/default/licence_detail?id=38065