Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Senator Wong, and relates to the proposed Waratah coalmine pipeline railway and port facility in the Alpha and Shoalwater Bay areas of Queensland. Given, firstly, that the mine will generate exports of more than 50 million tonnes of coal per year increasing to upwards of 100 million tonnes with consequent greenhouse gases and in the absence of carbon capture and storage and, secondly, that the port will be wholly located in Ramsar wetlands and will impact on the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and endangered species like dugongs and loggerhead turtles, will the minister inform us whether the minister for the environment will use his powers under the EPBC Act to declare the project clearly unacceptable right now and so stop any further assessment and approval of this project?