By SAT News Desk
Melbourne, 16 March: The Queensland Parliament’s support (on 15 March) for the approval of Adani’s $21.7 billion Carmichael Coal project has come under attack from the Greenpeace. It is ‘utterly irresponsible’ and ‘grossly hypocritical’ two days after saying coral bleaching is worsening in the Great Barrier Reef, the Greenpeace says.
The state Development and Natural Resources and Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said the House agreed a motion that all State Government approvals be provided to help create jobs in North and Central Queensland.
Government and Opposition speakers, including Dr. Lynham and Treasurer Curtis Pitt, told the Parliament that the project potentially offered thousands of jobs and much-needed economic development.
“It’s unbelievable. The Great Barrier Reef is Queensland’s most precious environmental asset. It is unique, it’s delicate, and it is at grave risk from climate change, as we are seeing right now with coral bleaching,” said Shani Tager, Greenpeace Australia Pacific reef campaigner.
“Instead of offering words of support for the coal industry under the banner of creating potential jobs, the Queensland government needs to protect the Great Barrier Reef, which provides jobs for more than 69,000 people already.
“Allowing any new coal mines will worsen the threat to the reef, and is incredibly hypocritical, given the Queensland government’s continued promises to UNESCO that it will protect this World Heritage icon. Instead of wasting their time with empty statements of support for the coal industry, the Queensland government should be working to transition to clean energy and sustainable jobs.”
“Jobs associated with Carmichael have been grossly overstated, as the Land Court heard. There are no sustainable jobs in coal.
“The Queensland Government seems to have forgotten that coal creates carbon emissions. If the Carmichael mine, the biggest proposed coal mine in Australia, gets built, the coal will be burnt overseas, driving climate change, warming our oceans and contributing to coral bleaching.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s burnt in India, in Korea or Australia. Climate change is a global problem and exporting the coal makes it our problem when the future of the Great Barrier Reef is at stake,” said Ms Tager.
“The Carmichael project is in financial disarray, coal is in structural decline, and the mine still faces legal challenges.”
If it ever got to full production, the 28,000ha Carmichael coal mine would put 121 million tonnes of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere each year and ship 60 million tonnes of coal directly through the heart of the Reef, a Greenpeace media release says.
– SAT News Service
