High Court requires decision makers to consider a project’s entire carbon footprint, forests cleared with no social licence and reports from regional Nanna loops.
Coal
Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan from the Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group (Dams Heg) said that “Australia can no longer dig up coal, ship it overseas, watch it drive climate change, and then pretend the consequences have nothing to do with us” following the decision of High Court of Australia on 7 October.
The High Court upheld the unanimous NSW Court of Appeal ruling that the Independent Planning Commission had failed to properly consider all the emissions from the Mt Pleasant coal mine expansion. This decision clarifies that the downstream emissions (Scope 3) from burning coal must be assessed and consideration must be given to mitigation of their impacts.
The community group represented by law firm, Johnson Legal, has fought the case through three levels of court over four years.
Sydney Knitting Nannas have been closely following the case through the courts and were outside the Appeals Court in Sydney when the decision was announced by the High Court.
The case is expected to strengthen any legal challenges to coal-mining projects in NSW and possibly more widely. It is worth noting that this is likely to include the recently approved Hunter Valley Operations expansion, the biggest ever in the state if it is given federal approval.
The Premier meets with coal industry representatives multiple times a year, but recently he refused to meet a delegation of climate-affected people seeking just one meeting with him prior to the recent decision to extend the Hunter Valley Operations for 19 years.
The fossil fuel industry is pushing for the state’s planning laws to be changed to stop legal challenges to approvals, but the Premier has indicated that this is not the government’s intention at this time.
The Mt Pleasant coal mine expansion “will now return to the Land and Environment court, which can suspend the mine extension’s approval or set conditions on its Scope 3 emissions”. (The Guardian)
Has the high court set Australia’s fossil fuel producers shaking in their boots? They should be, by Prof Jacqueline Peel, a climate litigation expert at the University of Melbourne. (The Guardian)
With the future economic viability of coal mining projects being in question before the High Court decision, and now even more so in light of the recent High Court decision, Nannas are calling for the Future Jobs and Investment Bill to be passed in the NSW upper house, where it has been stalled for months.
Forests
End logging Now — No Social Licence Rallies
2026 Australian Forestry Symposium was held in Canberra on 7-9 October. Communities rallied in Sydney, Canberra, Coffs Harbour, Batemans Bay and Hobart to demonstrate about the lack of social licence to log our native forests.
What is social licence? According to the Australian Institute of Company Directors, social licence to operate is the ongoing acceptance and approval of an organisation’s activities by its stakeholders and the public. Building trust is essential and this requires communication, transparency and consideration of the issues and impacts on a community.
Great Koala National Park (GKNP)
Legislation to formally designate the GKNP is likely to be introduced in NSW Parliament on Tuesday 13 October. The government needs the legislation to pass before the end of November to keep a key election promise before the next election in March.
Submissions
The NSW Government is seeking feedback on a Strategic Assessment of Forestry Operations in NSW Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) areas under the EPBC Act. The consultation period ends Friday 16 October.
The NSW Government is seeking public input into its National Parks Establishment Plan, which will help guide future additions to the national park estate. North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) is asking people to make a submission and call on the government to assess the proposed North East Forest Parks as a priority. Submissions close Monday 12 October.
News from NSW Nanna Loops
Coffs Harbour
Lismore Nannas joined Coffs Harbour Nannas in response to Forestry’s three-day talk fest in Canberra which aims to build their social licence. Lots of banners, corflutes, flyers and a petition to parliament were readied for the protest outside the Forestry Corporation’s office in Coffs on 8 October.
Pine Creek and Tuckers Nob State Forests, both high value koala habitat, are still not included in the Great Koala National Park. They are ‘designated’ plantations. These two forests provide critical connectivity for koalas by joining the coastal forest to the mid elevation forests. This forest link supports the interbreeding of and genetic strength essential for survival of the species.
Parts of Pine Creek have been clear felled, other parts are being ‘thinned’. Small isolated ‘koala hubs’ have been retained. Without connectivity, these hubs are a nonsense conservation strategy, but supported by Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe. Road making has been completed in Tuckers Nob Forest, so it is expected that logging will commence soon. The Nannas and other forest protectors have not given up — while some habitat is still standing, we will fight on.
The Hunter
Hunter Nannas are shocked by the approval of Hunter Valley Operation (HVO) Continuation Project for 19 years. They visited the office of their Federal MP, Pat Conroy, on 7 October to voice their concerns about HVO’s mine expansion. It isn’t an expansion, it’s the largest coal mine to be approved in NSW. So much for Labor addressing climate change.
Lock the Gate’s ‘System Failure’ statement on HVO is available for sharing in digital and printable form here. Scroll down to share to Facebook and Instagram. Download and print out the statement to give to your MP, or to members of the public at markets or display on notice boards. This statement can be endorsed by individuals and/or organisations.
Hunter Nannas are also concerned about data centres in and around Newcastle and Kurri Kurri.
Kandos
Leanne Wicks, a textile artist and regional Knitting Nanna, ran eco dye workshops and exhibited artwork collaborations with Dabee woman, Emma Syme, at the Cementa Festival 2026 in Kandos, NSW 17-20 September. Leanne met up with Sydney Nanna, Liz, at the festival. See Leanne’s wonderful knitted birds on her Songlark Studio website.
Bathurst
Nanna Steph was invited to the annual Light on the Hill Saturday night in Bathurst on 19 September. The ‘Light on the Hill’ is a phrase used to describe the objective of the Labor Party, first used by Ben Chifley during a speech in 1949.
Deputy Premier of NSW, Prue Carr, spoke about Labor achievements, but did not mention environmental protection nor the Great Koala National Park. Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe, left early with MP, Trish Doyle, from the Blue Mountains.
Canberra/ Batemans Bay/South Coast
Knitting Nannas for Native Forests — South Coast Loop were in Batemans Bay and Canberra on October 8 for a ‘No Social Licence’ action to coincide with the Forestry Symposium in Canberra.
Ulladulla
Knitting Nannas in the Milton Ulladulla District (MUD) had a successful fundraising day at a Community Expo in Ulladulla on 10 September. They had many conversations, signed up some new members and sold homemade goods. The Nannas have regular Monday knit-ins and their local MP drops in to see them.
Blue Mountains
Some Nannas living in the Blue Mountains joined the Sydney loop a couple of years ago. They met with their local member, Trish Doyle on 6 October and submitted requests and questions on local and state issues surrounding climate change, water, data centres and the Great Koala Nation Park. On leaving, they presented Trish with a small, knitted Nanna to watch over her.
A new Blue Mountains Nanna loop met for the first time on 8 October. Ten Nannas attended and two others sent apologies. If you are interested in joining this loop Contact Us.
On 9 October, some of the Blue Mountains Nannas participated in an action at the Penrith branch of the ANZ calling on the bank to rule out funding the North to East Pipeline from the Beetaloo in the NT.
Mudgee
Travelling Sydney Nanna, Jackie, was passing through Mudgee when she noticed the sign on the Uniting Church: Climate Action Now! For Our Children’s Sake.
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