Plibersek defends coal mine approvals amid blockades of Newcastle port

The federal government has defended the continued approval of fossil fuel projects after nearly 200 people were arrested for blocking the world’s largest coal port in protest over politicians’ perceived inaction to address climate change.

Protesters formed a “blockade” in the Port of Newcastle over the weekend, calling on the federal government to rule out new coal and gas mines and for a 78 per cent tax on coal and gas exports.

Some 170 people were arrested, with two hauled before Newcastle Local Court on Monday after being refused bail.Play

The Rising Tide-led protest drew attention to federal Labor’s approval of seven coal mine expansions since 2022, including three in a week by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Ms Plibersek suggested that paled in significance to 65 green-power approvals.

“I’ve approved 10 times more renewable energy projects than coal projects because the Australian economy and the global economy (are) changing,” she told Seven’s Sunrise program.

“I’m the first environment minister to stop a coal mine because of the impact it could have had on water going on to the Great Barrier Reef.”

A joint CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology report in October found the effects of greenhouse gas-fuelled climate change were accelerating in Australia, meaning more extreme heat, fires and intense downpours.

The vast majority of Australia’s carbon emissions in the past decade have come from coal, oil and gas use, averaging 399 million tons of CO2-equivalent per year.

Fossil fuel exports have contributed another 1055 million tons annually.

Federal Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce pointed to the tens of billions of dollars in coal royalties that benefited Australia.

“What these people are doing is going out in the harbour and saying, ‘I want Australia to be poor’,” he said.

“They never suggest what pensions they want to remove or what schools they don’t want built.”

Rising Tide organiser Zack Schofield said those behind the event got their message across “loud and clear” and protests would continue for as long as politicians failed to take action on the climate crisis.

Greens leader Adam Bandt attended the port protest on Sunday, wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “No More Coal and Gas”.

Former Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett, who served alongside Ms Plibersek as a minister in the first Rudd Labor government, performed at an associated festival on Saturday.

Another rally is due for Canberra on Tuesday.

AAP