These accusations have erupted amid plunging coal, iron ore and other commodity prices on global markets, which have already led to mine closures, cancellations of new projects and tens of thousands of job losses. Meanwhile, businessman and president of the Australian Conservation Foundation Geoff Cousins said Abbott’s support for the proposed coal mine was misguided.
“The activists themselves have declared that that is their objective”. The ads were placed by the Minerals Council of Australia, which represents the big mining corporations.
The Queensland government has granted preliminary approval for the expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal, an important requirement for Adani’s $16.5 billion Carmichael mine.
The mine was approved with a raft of conditions, but has been delayed until Mr Hunt can fully consider its effects on a vulnerable skink and a snake. He criticized standing provisions in section 487 (2) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, under which the challenge had taken place.
Other groups have also lodged legal challenges to the mine.
The government said the legislation would be introduced to parliament later this week. A court spokesman said that, in fact, the court made no findings and issued no judgment.
“If George Brandis has his way, local landcare groups like ours would have no right to challenge the federal approval of a devastating coalmine like Shenhua”, said Nicky Chirlian, a member of the Upper Mooki landcare group challenging the NSW state government approval of the Shenhua Watermark coalmine on the Liverpool Plains.
According to some media analysts, Adani’s main obstacle is not legal. We are seeing massive advances right now in battery and solar technology, meaning many people will be able to avoid the need to be on the electricity grid at all in the future. This has raised doubts about raising the required finance.
GetUp!and Environmental Justice Australia have also asked the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) to investigate whether the project will actually create the number of jobs it says it will.
Both Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey repeated the claim the project would offer “10,000 jobs”, despite the environment department’s estimation of only 2475 in construction and 3920 during its 50-year operation. “But the alarming thing about the case for Adani is it’s showing that the environmentalists are taking this war against economic development in Australia to a whole new level”. In reality, the project would benefit the Adani empire, controlled by a billionaire.
Senator Waters said the Abbott government’s decision to gut public enforcement of environmental laws was “an attack on democracy and our most important environmental assets”.
Activists argue it could hurt marine life in the World Heritage-listed site because the coal would have to be shipped out of a nearby port.
The approval of the $16bn Carmichael mine, to be located in Queensland’s Galilee Basin region, was set aside earlier this month following a legal challenge by the Mackay Conservation Group. This is a crucial component of a national environmental act which seeks to promote rigorous and effective environmental review for approvals that potentially affect matters of national environmental significance – such as the development of Queensland’s Galilee Basin coal deposits.
The Abbott government’s frenzied response to the Adani case reflects intensifying pressure from the corporate elite for the dismantling of all barriers to increased profits, including social spending, working conditions and regulatory restrictions.