Greens leader Larissa Waters says the Albanese government decision to approve the extension of Ulan thermal coal mine near Mudgee in NSW is “business as usual for Labor”

The extension would extract an extra 18.8 million tonnes of thermal coal, and extend the mine’s life to 2045. Greens leader Larissa Waters said it wasn’t only an affront to climate emissions targets, but also the environment.

Approving coal or gas in this day and age is a climate crime. Yet for Labor, it seems to be business as usual.

Labor must stop gaslighting the public – opening new coal and gas is the opposite of climate action.

It locks Australia into providing the world with more coal and gas for decades to come, while putting threatened wildlife like our precious koalas at risk.

Last week Minister Watt said he was planning to introduce new environmental laws later this year, but that he wouldn’t call them ‘Nature Positive’.

Maybe that’s because they’re going to be Coal and Gas Positive instead.”