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Bravus takes Queensland Government to court for regulatory failure

1 May 2024

Bravus Mining and Resources is taking the Queensland Government to the Planning and Environment Court to fight a clear misuse of the state’s environmental laws. Bravus has applied for a review of a 2023 Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation decision to impose a punitive Environmental Protection Order on the business despite the fact no environmental harm or breach of regulations had occurred at its Carmichael mine in central Queensland. A Bravus Mining and Resources spokesperson said the business didn’t need unnecessary regulator overreach when the requirements of its comprehensive Environmental Authority were already being met. “The Carmichael mine has some of the strictest environmental conditions of any resources project in Australia’s history and we’re proud to comply with those approvals,” the spokesperson said. “But it’s not okay for regulators to unfairly target law abiding businesses and make us out to be villains when we had already publicly committed to the further scientific work that this EPO relates to. “It appears the Department is simply buckling to pressure from anti-fossil fuel activists and their supporters in the media who’ll do and say anything to shut Queensland’s coal and gas sector down. “An Environmental Protection Order should not be used to apply punitive regulation to businesses that are doing the right thing and already meeting all the requirements of the Department’s own regulations. “It’s decisions like this that make Queenslanders lose faith in the Queensland Government’s willingness to treat responsible businesses fairly.” The Order was issued after Bravus Mining and Resources submitted an updated groundwater model for the area of the Carmichael mine and its surrounds to the Queensland Government as per the requirements of the Groundwater Management and Monitoring Plan, one of the suite of State or Commonwealth regulatory documents that form the operation’s rigorous environmental approvals. The new model indicated there was additional work to do in Bravus’ future underground mining plans to ensure they do not cause water levels in the Doongmabulla springs to fall by more than 20 centimetres after mining occurs, which is one of the Carmichael mine’s regulatory conditions. Prior to the Department’s issue of the Order, Bravus had already proactively and publicly committed to not mining underground before doing the necessary scientific and modelling work required to ensure the business continued to comply with its approvals. The Order has no bearing on current or future open-cut mining operations, which world’s best groundwater science has proven will not harm the Doongmabulla springs, and day-to-day mining operations at Carmichael in central Queensland continue as normal. ENDS Download PDF...