‘Beggars belief’: calls for federal intervention after extension to ‘carbon bomb’ open-cut coalmine approved by Queensland government

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 1 min read 100% complete by Donna Lu Assistant editor, climate, environment and scienceMarch 12, 2026 at 08:01 AM

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Environmental groups are urging federal intervention after the Queensland government approved an extension to the Hail Creek coalmine. The Hail Creek mine, located in central Queensland, is Australia's most methane-polluting open-cut coalmine, responsible for approximately 20% of the country's coalmine methane emissions while producing only 1% of its coal. Conservationists have described the proposed expansion as a "carbon bomb" due to its potential environmental impact. The approval was granted by the Queensland government on Wednesday, prompting concerns from environmental groups about increased methane emissions and calls for federal oversight.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Environmental Groups 50% Federal Government 60% Queensland Government 60% Australia ×270% Queensland ×270% Hail Creek ×280%

Keywords

coalmine extension 90% methane pollution 80% open-cut coalmine 70% federal intervention 60% carbon bomb 60% queensland government 50% hail creek 50% environmental groups 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

85%

Geographic Perspective

Hail Creek

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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coalmine extension methane pollution open-cut coalmine federal intervention carbon bomb queensland government hail creek environmental groups

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