Responding to the Labor Government's approval of four coal mine extensions, Greens environment spokesperson Senator Hanson-Young said:
"This is the ultimate dumping of rubbish on Christmas Eve.
"The Labor Government has given coal for Christmas - gifting coal companies a huge win and delivering more pollution and more pain for Australia's koalas.
"Approving coal mining in koala habitat is abhorrent and it should be illegal.
"Approving four coal mine expansions in a climate and environment crisis should be illegal.
"Our environment laws are an utter failure. A climate trigger would have stopped these projects because of the millions and millions of tonnes of emissions they'll emit. A moratorium on habitat clearing would have stopped these projects which are home to endangered koalas, greater gliders and other species.
"The Environment Minster's one job is to protect the environment. Obviously this is a fail, a big fail.
"The Albanese Government has let Australians, our Pacific neighbours and our wildlife down once again."