(BRISBANE) — The Federal Court has today ruled in favour of community group Mackay Conservation Group who earlier this year took Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt to court over his approval of the controversial Adani Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin.

The EDO NSW brought the case against Minister Hunt in January on three grounds: the mine’s impacts on the climate, impacts on endangered species and Adani’s poor environmental record. The case was supported by thousands of donations from the community via GetUp!

“We applaud the Federal Court’s decision and leadership in rejecting the approval of Adani’s unbankable, unburnable and unbelievably reckless Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin,” said Charlie Wood, 350.org Australia campaigns director.

“That the Mackay Conservation Group took on the Federal Government, the fossil fuel industry, and one of the largest coal projects in the world and won is testament to the power of community.

“But today’s outcome begs the question — why did it fall upon the community to protect us from the looming environmental disaster that this proposed coal mine poses, when that is the responsibility of Greg Hunt and the Federal Government?

“That Minister Hunt approved the project in the first place is another glaring example of how asleep at the wheel our Government is on climate change and environmental protection.

“With the Courts against him, Minister Hunt now has no other option than to assess the facts properly and then reject this proposal as he should have when it first turned up on his desk,” concluded Wood.

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