Adani’s grand project in Australia opposed by environmentalists, citizen and court

In a major setback to India’s leading mining firm Adani, an Australian court today revoked the environmental approval of the controversial $16.5 billion project. The company’s dream of building world’s largest coal mine was also opposed by green groups and local residents of Australia.

As per media reports, Adani's environmental authority was set aside after the Federal court found that Environment Minister Greg Hunt had not properly considered advice on two threatened species - the yakka skink and the ornamental snake in the Galilee basin.

Mackay Conservation Group had filed a case, challenging the approval earlier this year. The conservation group representative, Sue Higginson, said that now there was no legal approval for the mine in central Queensland. The group also said the judgment ruled that the approval by Environment Minister was invalid on environmental grounds.

"What can happen from here is the Minister can re-make his decision, and of course in re-making that decision he can approve the mine again following the proper legal procedures, or he can refuse the mine; that is the legal power open to the Minister," Higginson said, adding “What our client says is that if the Minister wants to reconsider approving the mine there is a plethora of new evidence and information about that mine, so it will be no simple task to simply re-approve that mine. So really, the Carmichael mine is in a state of legal uncertainty.”

The Environment Department, in a statement, informed that with the consent of the parties, the Federal Court had formally set aside the approval of the Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project.

"This is a technical, administrative matter and to remove this doubt, the department has advised that the decision should be reconsidered. Reconsidering the decision does not require revisiting the entire approval process. Without pre-empting a final decision about the project, the department expects that it will take six to eight weeks to prepare its advice and the supporting documentation, and for the Minister to reconsider his final decision,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Adani, which recently suspended work in a number of areas on the mine as awaiting government approvals, termed the ruling as "technical legal error" and said it was confident that the matter would be rectified.

The company said it was committed to ensuring its mine, rail and port projects in Queensland were developed and operated in accordance with Commonwealth and State laws and regulations, including strict environmental conditions.

Image: Indiatimes