NSW court approves order overturning expansion of Glencore mine
The New South Wales (NSW) Land and Environment Court overturned the New South Wales government’s approval of Ulan Coal’s proposed 18.8 million tonnes expansion of the Ulan thermal coal mine. Ulan Coal is a subsidiary of Glencore, the world’s largest thermal coal exporter. The proposed expansion would allow the mine to continue operating until 2035. Ulan Coal acknowledged that the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure had failed to make the climate change impacts of the proposed expansion a mandatory consideration. The company agreed with the Mudgee District Environment Group (MDEG) to a consent order that set aside the department’s approval. Glencore said it intends to modify its application and resubmit it for fresh approval. Anita O’Hart from Johnston Legal, who represented the environment group in the case, believes the decision may affect 18 coal mine expansion projects under consideration in NSW. (Brisbane Times)
Ulan mine approval ruled invalid
November 17th, 2025 in 2MG website
The NSW Land and Environment Court have declared that the approval by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure of Glencore’s Modification 6 to the Ulan Coal Mine is invalid and that it be set aside, following a legal challenge by the Mudgee District Environment Group.
The orders were made on the basis of the Court of Appeal’s decision to reject the expansion of the Mt Pleasant Mine near Muswellbrook on the grounds that local climate impacts are a mandatory relevant consideration for greenhouse gas generating projects.
Glencore had applied to increase the life of the Ulan Mine by two years to 2035
Rosemary Hadaway of the Mudgee District Environment Group says they strongly objected to the expansion because the assessment failed to fully assess the impacts of climate change on the local area.
She says that this decision also has implications for the Ulan Mod 8 expansion currently on exhibition for public comment, as Ulan Mod 8 relies on the Mod 6 approval.
However, a Glencore spokesperson say that they are undeterred by the decision and that the Ulan Mod 6 application will now be amended to close the legal loophole and they will seek to have Mod 6 re-approved.
The spokesperson also says that the court action was calculated lawfare using a legal loophole to delay a project that will provide vital jobs and business opportunities for the local Mudgee community and was a clear waste of taxpayer resources and disregard for the livelihoods of hundreds of workers and certainty for local businesses.
(Pic: Glencore Website)
Coal Mine Tracker
Taking out the trash 2024: three big coal approvals | 20 December 2024
There can be no new coal mines if we are to avoid dangerous climate change.
Yet, since May 2022, the Federal Environment Minister has approved 11 new coal mines or expansions with 1,677 million tonnes of lifetime emissions.
APPROVED PROJECTS
11
TOTAL COAL
582 million tonnes
TOTAL EMISSIONS
1,677 million tonnes
Australia is the third largest exporter of fossil fuels in the world.
Instead of closing coal mines, the Federal Government is looking to open more.
There are 29 additional proposals for new or expanded coal mines currently waiting for Federal Government approval.
Approving 11 new coal mines goes against our climate goals. Approving 40 new coal mines, and the 13.9 billion tonnes of emissions they would cause, is incompatible with limiting dangerous climate change.
APPROVED & PROPOSED PROJECTS
40
TOTAL COAL
5,597 million tonnes
TOTAL EMISSIONS
13,881 million tonnes
If approved, the lifetime emissions from these mines would be equivalent to keeping all of Australia’s coal-fired power stations operating for an additional 100 years.
×100 years
The Federal Environment Minister, Murray Watt, could say no to these projects.
Ask Murray Watt to stop approving new coal mines.
Australia has committed to net zero emissions by 2050. To meet this goal, Australia must reduce its emissions by 43% (from 2005 emissions levels) by 2030.
In 2021-22, Australia produced 422 million tonnes of coal. That results in 1.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide equivalent CO2-e) in just one year.