The Bob Brown Foundation has lauded Tanya Plibersek’s decision to knock back Clive Palmer’s coal mine project near Rockhampton.

“It is a good second decision. Congratulations Tanya. Palmer’s coal mine plan was an environmental disaster waiting to happen. His equally appalling proposal to undermine the Bimblebox Nature Reserve near Alpha must also get the thumbs down,” Bob Brown said.

Contrary to media reports, this was the minister’s second decision. Her first, on 29 June, was a shocker: Plibersek gave the nod to bulldozers which are now destroying the Gelorup corridor woodland south of Perth. “There can be few more habitats of this size on the planet so important to rare and endangered creatures. They are now headed closer to extinction because the minister ignored alternatives to the Bunbury bypass,” Brown, who visited the site of the woodland demolition on Sunday, said.