The expansion will see the depth of the mine increased, and the life of the mine extended 10 years to 2039. Boggabri Coal Mine will produce 156 million tonnes of emissions over its lifetime.

In addition to the unacceptable climate impacts, there is no economic case for expanding Boggabri Coal Mine. The Australia Institute’s 2023 submission showed that the social cost of the direct emissions would be double what the coal produced would be worth.

If Australia is serious about achieving its emissions reduction targets, then there is one final opportunity to stop this mine from going ahead: Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek can intervene to prevent its approval at the federal level.