Adani mine could snuff out black-throated finch’s last chances of survival

Development has long been given priority over the endangered bird's welfare - and is set to again with the Carmichael coalmine

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The black-throated finch is a refugee. For decades, progress has forced the small, rotund, patchwork finch to retreat to a few pockets of grassland in central and north Queensland. Now the largest colony will be forcibly moved from the best remaining habitat to make way for Adani's Carmichael coalmine.

Since it was listed as endangered and protected under Australian law, 775 development applications have proposed removing or damaging potential finch habitat. One has been rejected.