Imogen Lindenberg, Mackay Conservation Group, speaks on the first day of court case, 21 July 2025. Photo: Malcolm Paterson

Whitehaven Coal is proposing to build an enormous new greenfield coal mine in Central Queensland. Whitehaven Coal’s Winchester South is Australia’s largest proposed new coal mine.

The Australian Conservation Foundation and Mackay Conservation Group have teamed up to stop it. The groups are seeking the refusal of Whitehaven Coal’s Winchester South coal mine in the Queensland land court.

The case kicked off in the land court on Monday July 21, with First Nations people, and climate and environmental activists rallying outside the court in opposition to this climate-wrecking mega-mine. Over 100 people attended the rally to show what Whitehaven Coal is up against - people power! More photos here. 

The court case will run for the next 6-8 weeks. The groups are arguing the court should recommend no approvals be granted for the Winchester South project due to its significant environmental and climate impacts.

Join the Move Beyond Coal Instagram announcements and action channel to support the court case and for ways to take action -
link at top of our Instagram profile.

More information about Whitehaven Coal’s proposed mega-mine

The Winchester South coal mine is a climate bomb that will extract millions of tonnes of coal, which once burnt, will create 583 million tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution - more than Australia’s entire annual emissions from all sources.

Whitehaven Coal is planning to destroy the habitats of critically endangered creatures who call this place home, including koalas and greater gliders. The proposed Winchester South coal mine will also damage precious water resources including the Isaac River, and leave massive mine voids that will drain groundwater, forever.

Proposed in a very risky spot next to a floodplain, Whitehaven Coal’s Winchester South coal mine would destroy creeks and precious water resources, dump polluted dam water into the Isaac River and drain 280 million litres of precious groundwater every year.

Whitehaven Coal are dangerous climate criminals that are pursuing more new coal projects than any other company in Australia. Whitehaven Coal are environmental vandals that have been fined or investigated 35 times and committed more water pollution offences than any other coal company in Australia.

The Winchester South coal mine will turbocharge climate change, destroy water, erase Aboriginal cultural heritage and drive the extinction of endangered species including the koala and greater glider.

Whitehaven Coal’s coal expansion must be stopped before they do any more damage to the environment, cultural heritage and the world’s climate. We need to show there is massive opposition to this disastrous project going ahead.

Join our Instagram announcements and action channel to take action to stop this disastrous new climate-wrecking coal mine.