AN AUSTRALIAN coal industry lobby group has called national intelligence agencies to investigate alleged foreign involvement in unnamed “activist groups” it claims are threatening the nation’s prosperity.

Coal Australia also called on the government to expand restrictions on foreign donations to block money being funnelled to environmental groups, and to introduce powers allowing authorities to terminate grants or strip charity status from organisations that fail to disclose funding sources.

The demands were set out in one of nearly 150 submissions to a parliamentary inquiry into the spread of climate change-related misinformation and disinformation.

It comes as thousands of climate activists prepare for November’s annual People’s Blockade of coal exports, which organisers from the grassroots group Rising Tide have described as the “biggest and boldest yet.”

The lobby group, whose members include Whitehaven and Yancoal, argued Australia’s prosperity was being “compromised” by activist groups with foreign backing. 

It recommended that electoral and intelligence agencies deliver a joint annual report to parliament on threats to the country’s energy security, citing “malicious” foreign interference and the dissemination of false information.

The submission did not name agencies, though the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is responsible for monitoring foreign influence. 

It also proposed that the first report include an audit of all funding to activist groups not covered by existing foreign donation rules.

“Such reporting would also ensure maximum community awareness and vigilance of manipulative and deceptive campaign tactics,” Coal Australia chief executive Stuart Bocking wrote.

The group previously said that the “coal boom” had been undermined in Australia, claiming that in 2023, foreign organisations had brought in $129 million AUD (£63m) of offshore money to support activist groups.