$2billion Adani mine that will create 15,000 jobs is derailed after ‘anti-coal’ environmentalists claim a rare bird could be wiped out by the project
- Indian miner reacted with anger after draft copy of review was published
- Adani claims the review is biased and is work of ‘anti-mining campaigners’
- The review was written by Brendan Wintle, ecologist at University of Melbourne
- In November, Professor Wintle attended a strike for climate action in Victoria
An endangered bird could derail Adani’s controversial new coal mine in Queensland after a review found its management plan for the species wasn’t good enough.
The Indian miner has reacted with anger after a draft copy of the review – ordered by the state government – was published by The Australian on Friday.
Adani claims the review is biased, ‘reads like an anti-coal, anti-mining, anti-Adani lobbying brochure’ and ‘even references the work of anti-Adani campaigners’.
The conglomerate says the government cannot accept any of its recommendations and has questioned if they are deliberately trying to obstruct the project.
The draft review reportedly said the proposed $2billion mine should not proceed until Adani revises its plan to manage the endangered black-throated finch (pictured)
Adani claims the review is biased, ‘reads like an anti-coal, anti-mining, anti-Adani lobbying brochure’ and ‘even references the work of anti-Adani campaigners’. Pictured: The mine site in Queensland
The draft review was written by Brendan Wintle, an ecologist at the University of Melbourne.
In November, Professor Wintle tweeted a photo of two young children holding a placard reading ‘I’ll stop farting if you stop burning coal’ at a School Strike for Climate Action demonstration at the Victorian Parliament.
‘On our way to Climate Strike! Fun! Climate action is fun!’ Professor Wintle tweeted.
‘Big crowd at Climate Strike! Kid power!’
The draft review reportedly said the proposed $2billion mine should not proceed until Adani revises its plan to manage the endangered black-throated finch, which lives on its Carmichael mine site.
It also recommends a trigger that would stop mining at the site unless Adani can prove finch numbers haven’t dropped in the first five years of operation.
Earlier this week Adani launched an advertising blitz, accusing the state government of constantly shifting the goal posts for its mine.
The miner said it wanted ‘a fair go’ and accused the government of ordering the review at the last minute, after 18 months of work, consultations with the environment department, and seven sets of revisions.
In November, Professor Wintle tweeted a photo of two young children holding a placard reading ‘I’ll stop farting if you stop burning coal’
‘If the Queensland government accepts any part of this report, it means their own Department of Environment’s work over the past 18 months is at best incompetent, and at worst using purposeful delay tactics to slow down the delivery of the Carmichael project and the thousands of jobs it will provide,’ an Adani spokeswoman said.
The government says Adani’s project has been vetted free of political interference.
On Tuesday, Adani Mining chief executive Lucas Dow would not say if he believed Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government was trying to white-ant the mine.
‘On our way to Climate Strike! Fun! Climate action is fun!’ Professor Wintle tweeted
‘What the government’s intentions are are really questions for the premier and the deputy premier,’ Mr Dow said.
He said it was ‘concerning’ that the premier hadn’t bothered to respond to his letter sent before Christmas, seeking clarity about how much longer it would take to obtain final approvals.
He said letters sent on February 4 to Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, and six other cabinet ministers had also gone unanswered.