Australia greenlights coal mine near Barrier Reef

SYDNEY - Australia approved on Thursday the construction of a controversial coal mine near the Great Barrier Reef, paving the way for a dramatic and unfashionable increase in coal exports.

Queensland's government said it had accepted a groundwater management plan for the Indian-owned Adani Carmichael mine - the last major legal hurdle before construction can begin.

The project, fiercely debated for almost a decade, comes as investors and even energy companies are moving away from fossil fuels amid concern about climate change.