Greenpeace Australia plans to disrupt and delay coal export projects in the country in a campaign to stop the booming sector. The Australian reports that the funding proposal for the anti-coal campaign considers 2012 and 2013 the critical years.

During that period, the environmental group aims to prevent billions of investments in the coal sector as well as plans to disrupt and delay projects while at the same time gradually eroding public and political support for the sector.

The document is believed to have been authored by John Hepburn of Greenpeace Australia and Bob Burton of CoalSwarm. It aims to build up a $5.92-million fund to finance litigation that would halt coal port expansion projects, major rail systems and new mines.

Based on the photos on the document cover, it appears some of the funders of the campaign include philanthropic consultant Sam Hardy and Graeme Wood, who opened the Wotif Foundation and is a Greens donor.

The campaign specifically targets to stop mega mine projects in central Queensland's Galilee Basin and question the plan by the New South Wales government to allow land use in Hunter Valley for coal seam gas operations. The group plans to hire staff to make industry research in a bid to paint the coal sector as the cause of landscape and community destruction, corruption of democracy and threat to global climate.

Greenpeace senior campaigner John Hepburn admits leaking the draft document to media. He said the aim of the leak was to secure more support from community groups which Greenpeace is working with on a voluntary basis.

He said some members of these community groups have the expertise to read through environmental impact statement reports and explain to Australians the real effect of coal mining activities on the environment.

Mr Hepburn said a Greenpeace member must have leaked the draft document to the media anonymously and somehow the mining industry got hold of a copy and gave it to media companies.

Trade Minister Craig Emerson said Greenpeace is living in a fantasy land for pursuing an anti-coal campaign. He said the campaign brings with it another risk of a global recession.

"We would have a global depression if we said that's it, we're out of coal, we're just going into complete renewable energy now.... Some of the people behind this believe that's good for the world," AC quoted Mr Emerson.

"It would mean mass starvation. It would be a global depression, and they ought to wake up to that instead of living in a fantasy land and organising these sorts of campaigns," he added.

Environment Minister Tony Burke backed Mr Emerson and pointed to the controversial carbon tax as being designed to deal with greenhouse gas problems.

However, Mr Hepburn said the aim of the campaign is to slow down the rapid expansion of the industry by opposing also the planned importation of overseas workers to work in Australian mines to fill up the gap caused by skilled manpower shortage in the industry.

He cited the $8-billion China First coal project in Queensland's Galilee Basin, owned by billionaire Clive Palmer, as one of Greenpeace's main targets because it would be built on top of a nature refuge. A spokesman for Mr Palmer said the company will push through with the project but is first conducting an extensive environmental impact study.

Greens leader Bob Brown sided with Greenpeace. He said the coal mine proposed in Galilee Basin would produce more greenhouse gases than all the coal burnt in India and the whole Queensland economy would also be affected since it would remove 2,000 to 3,000 jobs from the manufacturing and agriculture sectors.

However, he said the larger impact would be on the Great Barrier Reef since a planned coal part expansion programme would lead to over 10,000 large ships docking at the nearby port to take in coal exports.

A delegation from UNESCO's World Heritage Committee is already in Australia to investigate the impact of the gas and coal boom on the Great Barrier Reef.

Australian Coal Association Chief Executive Nikki Williams said that green groups are conducting a systematic and targeted campaign which works against the $43-billion coal industry and national interest.

"If this strategy were to succeed, it would inflict significant collateral damaged on the national economy, on the economies of Queensland and NSW and on the many industries and businesses that support the coal industry," Ms Williams said in a statement.

The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) also spoke against the campaign.

"Coal is a legal and legitimate industry that complies with rigorous environmental and social approvals processes. It should be permitted to expand without facing vexatious, untruthful and potentially unlawful campaigns," MCA Chief Executive Mitch Hooke said.

Treasurer Wayne Swan described the campaign as disturbing, completely irrational and deeply irresponsible.

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