The Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project is a proposal to mine up to 60 million tonnes per year of thermal coal from the Galilee Basin in Queensland, for export via associated rail and port infrastructure. As the project will have a major impact on the local and potentially global environment, an environmental impact statement, submissions, response to submissions (RTS) and a supplementary environmental impact statement (SEIS) were prepared.

The Australia Institute made a submission on the SEIS of the Carmichael project. Key points:

• No cost benefit analysis of the project has been conducted.
• Economic assessment has been based on inappropriate modelling that is certain to overstate the positive impacts of the project and ignores environmental costs.