Whitehaven Coal’s Vickery mine given green light by environment minister

Sussan Ley's decision denounced as a betrayal of young people' and follows a federal court ruling that she has a duty of care to protect young people from the climate crisis

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The federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, has approved Whitehaven Coal's Vickery mine extension in northern New South Wales in a decision environmental advocates have described as a betrayal of Australian children.

Ley's decision to approve the mine comes six weeks before world leaders are due to meet for the United Nations Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow where Australia is under pressure to announce tougher national emissions reduction targets.