Tasmania: Mining

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Nick McKim, also on behalf of Tasmanian Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) thermal coal combustion is a key driver of increasing greenhouse gas emissions and rising global temperatures,

(ii) the impact the current level of global warming of just 1 degrees is having on Tasmania includes worsening floods, East Coast drought, marine heatwaves, increased dry lightning storms causing bushfires, coastal erosion, biosecurity threats and ecosystem stress,

(iii) the scientific consensus is that the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, must end in order to limit global warming to 2 degrees and prevent further climate breakdown,

(iv) Western Australian-based Midland Energy has received around $50,000, and Queensland-based Junction Coal around $23,000, in grants from the Tasmanian Government for coal exploration in Tasmania, and

(v) it is in Tasmania's best interest to be a climate positive, clean energy island, and that any new coal mines would harm the agricultural and tourism sectors; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to implement a prohibition on any new thermal coal mines in Tasmania.