Australian businessman and politician Clive Palmer’s proposal to build a coal mine near the Great Barrier Reef has been deemed not suitable by the Queensland Environment Department.
The mine was planned just 10 kilometers from wetlands that feed into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
The Queensland Department of Environment and Science report found the project presented significant environmental risks due to its location.
"The project presents a number of significant risks due to its location, particularly its proximity to important environmental values, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area, the Broad Sound Fish Habitat Area, Tooloombah Creek, Deep Creek, the Styx River Estuary, and associated groundwater resources and groundwater dependent ecosystems," the report stated.