Australian government officials are investigating whether a coal mining company is putting threatened greater gliders and koalas at risk by illegally clearing bushland in central Queensland without approval under federal law.

The revelation came in a fiery Senate estimates hearing in which the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticised the Albanese government for not doing more to stop the clearing and described environment department bureaucrats as “weak” – an allegation she later withdrew.

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Officials told the hearing there was an “active investigation” into the alleged clearing, which was raised by Queensland Conservation Council in June. Guardian Australia reported in July that the council had obtaining drone footage that appeared to show large

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