Fiery Senate exchange reveals investigation into coal firm allegedly clearing endangered greater glider habitat
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young called environment department bureaucrats ‘weak’ – though later withdrew the remark
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Australian government officials are investigating whether a coal mining company is putting threatened greater gliders and koalas at risk by illegally clearing bushland in central Queensland without approval under federal law.
The revelation came in a fiery Senate estimates hearing in which the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticised the Albanese government for not doing more to stop the clearing and described environment department bureaucrats as “weak” – an allegation she later withdrew.