Clive Palmer coal mine poses ‘significant risks’ to Great Barrier Reef, scientists say

Businessman Clive Palmer’s plan to mine coal near the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been condemned by Commonwealth-appointed experts who say they see no way to remove the proposal’s threat to the reef.

The Independent Expert Scientific Committee (IESC) has expressed “extreme concern” about the proposed Central Queensland Coal (CQC) project, which it said posed “very significant risks” to reef waters and other “internationally recognised assets”.

CQC wants to build a mine of up to 10 million…