30 July 2021

It’s clear if we are to protect our magnificent Great Barrier Reef, Adani’s giant coal mine cannot go ahead.

The evidence keeps mounting – just this month, the United Nations recommended the Great Barrier Reef be listed as World Heritage in danger because of the impacts of climate change.

In June, the Federal Court found that the federal environment minister has a duty of care to protect young people from harm when approving a new coal project.

The court also found that the Reef would no longer exist ‘as we know it today’ at 2 degrees of global warming. Evidence in the case showed that to avoid this, it would not be enough to merely avoid further new approvals of mines.

In light of this new evidence, our brave young clients, two North Queensland teenagers, have escalated their legal request for Federal Enviro Minister, Sussan Ley, to consider the critical evidence they have provided and revoke approval of Adani’s coal mine to protect the Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is iconic. It’s a much-loved holiday spot and a stunning, internationally-recognised ecosystem.

For our clients 18-year-old Brooklyn Hearn and 19-year-old Claire Galvin, and so many other North Queenslanders, it means so much more than that. Losing the reef to climate change means losing tourism, income, jobs and livelihoods.

On behalf of our clients, we have again written to Federal Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, requesting she consider our additional evidence and expediate a response.

To date, the government has not provided a final response to the legal request.

On behalf of our clients, we will continue putting pressure on the Minister until we get a response. We look forward to updating you as soon as we hear from the Minister.