---
title: Decade long battle against NSW coal mine ends in victory
description: A coal mine in the Southern Highlands has been rejected by the NSW Independent Planning Commission.
---
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# Decade long battle against NSW coal mine ends in victory
Wednesday, 1 September 2021
In today’s news, a decade long battle over a coal mine has ended in victory for the Southern Highlands community after the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) rejected plans for the mine, finding it posed an unacceptable risk to underground water.
The Morrison Government’s Great Barrier Reef envoy has said that Australia must dramatically increase climate action to protect the Reef from global heating.
And Australia’s electricity grid operator has warned that the greatest threat to the reliable energy this summer is the Yallourn coal burning power station in Victoria.
# [Southern Highlands coal mine blocked after decade-long battle](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-31/southern-highlands-coal-mine-rejected/100422666)
The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has rejected plans for a new coal mine in the Southern Highlands, finding it posed too great a risk for underground water.
# [Barrier Reef’s future depends on greater climate action: R](https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/barrier-reef-s-future-depends-on-greater-climate-action-warren-entsch-20210831-p58nfq.html)eef envoy
Australia must dramatically increase its action on climate change to protect the Great Barrier Reef from global warming decimation, says Special Envoy Warren Entsch, as the latest government data shows Australia will need drastic cuts to industrial emissions if it’s to reach net zero.
# [Power station flooding a summer energy risk for Victoria](https://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/power-station-flooding-a-summer-energy-risk-for-victoria-20210831-p58nl4.html)
According to the Australian Energy Market Operator, the biggest cloud hanging over reliable energy this summer is the potential unavailability of the Yallourn coal burning power station due to flooding.
# [Nyrstar fined $35,000 for toxic acid spill into waterways near Port Pirie lead smelter](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-31/nyrstar-fined-for-toxic-acid-spill/100420002)
The owners of Port Pirie's lead smelter have been fined $35,000 for a series of failures that led to 700 litres of "toxic" sulphuric acid leaking from the plant into waterways and mangroves near the town.
# [Young Australians ‘screaming’ for climate action but don’t trust leaders to make change, survey suggests](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/01/young-australians-screaming-for-climate-action-but-dont-trust-leaders-to-make-change-survey-suggests)
Young Australians overwhelmingly want to see immediate action on climate change but have little faith their leaders will do anything significant, a new survey suggests.
# [Scientists discover seagrass grows better after its seeds have been eaten by dugongs, turtles](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-31/seagrass-grows-better-after-been-eaten-by-dugongs-turtles/100419004)
Dugongs and turtles can now be considered birds of the sea, as new research shows they play an incredible role in the growth of seagrass.
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