AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL CONCERNED

PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR INDUSTRY AND FUTURE JOB PROSPECTS

 
We are asking for all Australian residents who are concerned for their future job prospects to please take the time to look and see what has been happening in regional Queensland for the past few years!

If you have not seen this document before, please take the time to read it.
Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom - Funding proposal for the Australian anti-coal movement

 

Part of the movement is THE BATTLE OF GALILEE.
By building a high profile public campaign to disrupt and delay the Galilee Basin coal mines, the anti coal activists have significantly increased investor uncertainty while undermining political support for the projects.

The anti coal movement are operating under various names but the one thing that they all have in common is that they have made Adani their main target. This does not mean that they won’t try and stop other projects. They just use this most heard of name to get public attention through the media.

We constantly hear anti coal groups say “No taxpayer money for Adani!”

This in turn has resulted in less Government support for the projects. We saw this during the Qld election campaign when the premier agreed to veto the NAIF LOAN for the Northern Galilee Basin Rail (NGBR) project, yet, before that she was fully supportive of the loan for the Rail.

 

We also saw the federal Opposition leader Mr Shorten of being accused of being two-faced about the project, saying one thing to mining unions who want the promised jobs. And another thing to Green groups and southern city dwellers who are trying to stop the $16.5 billion mine.

A Queensland Federal Labor MP told the ABC that he was not comfortable with Mr Shorten's new position on Adani because it would be interpreted by regional voters as being "anti-coal".

Our coal port at Abbot Point is located not far from the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, the anti coal activists have used this opportunity for alliance building with scientists and the tourism and fishing industries, by spreading alarmism about the affects that the port will have on the Great Barrier Reef and the nearby Caley Valley Wetlands.  All of which have been proven to be simply that - Alarmism with no facts!

They have also used the reef as an emotional lever with the general public by making claims of ‘dredging on the reef’ and ‘dumping on the reef’. Which ofcourse is not true!!  The reef is nowhere near  where any dredging will take place.

 

Ofcourse, the biggest threat they say is that burning the coal will cook the Reef. More alarmism, with no facts! The facts are, that the coal would be burned in India in Adani's new high tech power plants which are currently burning low grade coal. Our coal being of a higher grade would actually lower co2 emissions, hence, helping the climate and the Reef!

 

Coal is one of our biggest export earners.  Without the royalties and employment from coal, where would Australia be right now? The anti coal activists want to transition to 100% Renewables to supposedly save the planet. Yet, to do some simple google searches, you can see that other countries around the world are still digging up coal and burning it in their new high tech power stations. Australia and some of our politicians have been caught up in this anti coal stance.  No doubt the politicians see it as a way to gain Green votes at the next election. We see it , as letting us all down! We see it as killing our economy. We see it as killing industry and jobs!

 

 

If you are worried about the lack of support for these projects and future job prospects, please join the residents of North Queensland by fighting back against this anti coal campaign.

If you would like to help us, please join our facebook groups. Links below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeSupporttheGalileeBasinCoalProjects/ 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AbbotPointExpansionSupporters/ 

If you would like more information regarding the Abbot Point and Galilee Basin Coal Projects please support our facts pages below:
https://www.facebook.com/AbbotPointAction
https://www.facebook.com/AbbotPointandGalileeBasinProjectsMythsandFacts/
https://www.facebook.com/AbbotPointExpansionFactsPage



Below:  excerpts taken from the "Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom" document!! Does any of it ring a bell?? 

 Whether you love coal or hate it, the fact is, it will be around for along time yet.  Until, a better , cleaner , cheaper form of energy is found to compete with coal, we will continue to use it to give energy to countries who are crying out just to be able to flick a switch!!

It is also vital that we keep coal going in this country as it is one of our biggest export earners. Without it, Australia would be in dire straights!!  

We don't have another export earner that could replace coal, not now or in the future.  Just think about this - the anti coal activist organizations want to kill the coal industry and keep all coal in the ground so we would have to go to so-called renewable energy.  We don't export wind or solar out of the country, so, how can that industry carry on from coal with export earnings??  There would be millions of export dollars lost and thousands and thousands of jobs lost.

Don't let the anti coal activist organizations win with their deceitful lies.  They have no answers for the future.  

Adani Carmichael Coal Mine jobs - Facts versus Myths

The #StopAdani movement and their brainwashed followers and a very far left leaning media, continually lie about how many jobs are on offer with this project. They continually share disinformation from a previous court case where Adani's witness revealed that there would be 1464 jobs for the entire project over it's lifetime.

Let's debunk that and share the FACTS.

The witness - JEROME GREGORY FAHRER - was giving evidence on the "Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project" ONLY!

The question in court to Adani's expert witness was for the Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project, which covers the mine and part of the rail - approx 189kilometres of it. 

However, the jobs figures quoted are not for the rail, port, construction or additional phases. They were only for phase 1 of the Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project.

                                                Excerpt from the affidavit giving a recommendation for what Jerome would need to report on (phase 1 only)

There is also the "North Galilee Basin Rail Project" which covers the rest of the rail to Abbot Point, then there is the "Abbot Point Growth Gateway Project" and "Abbot Point Expansion" which covers what will happen at Abbot Point. Ofcourse there is the supply chain employment too that goes with the three projects. You know, the indirect jobs!! 

It is these indirect jobs where most of the employment will come from. A really good example of direct and indirect jobs is the Tourism jobs for the Great Barrier Reef. The figure changes constantly, but, last time we checked, it was 69,000. Now, there is not 69,000 direct jobs. This number is direct and indirect, such as a shop selling Surf gear etc.

 Same for mining, indirect jobs are those that are on the supply chain.

Some call it an Employment Multiplier -

What is An Employment Multiplier?

An employment multiplier is one of the measures used to determine the impact a particular industry will have upon an area when it arrives or departs. In its simplest terms, the employment multiplier measures the amount of direct, indirect and induced jobs created (or lost) in the area. Direct jobs are related to the specific industry, while indirect jobs are those that support the industry. Induced jobs are those that are a result of direct/indirect employee’s spending money in the community. Generally, industries with a higher multiplier are more desirable.


Coal mining has an employment multiplier of 4.4 – meaning that for every mining job, 4.4 other jobs are created. Oil and gas extraction have a multiplier of 6.9. As one can see, these industries can be viewed as a boon to communities.

Below - information about the projects and a transcript of Jerome Fahrer's Affidavit.

Project 1 (2 phases) -   Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project

Description:-  

Open-cut and underground coal mine with a yield of 60 million tonnes per annum and a 189-kilometre railway line. 

Key features:-

• six open-cut pits and five underground mines
• five mine infrastructure areas
• coal handling and processing plant
• heavy industrial area
• water-supply infrastructure
• 189-kilometre rail line
• off-site infrastructure, including workers' accommodation village and airport.

Jobs Mine:

• Up to 1075 (construction)
• Up to 3800 (operational)

Railway line:

• Up to 1400 (construction)
• Up to 120 (operational)

Project 2 - North Galilee Basin Rail Project

Description:-

Approximately 310 kilometre standard gauge, greenfield rail line in Central Queensland, connecting the northern Galilee Basin to the Port of Abbot Point.

Key features:-

A 100 metre-wide rail corridor (to be refined from a one kilometre-wide investigation corridor) containing rail infrastructure scalable to 100 million tonnes per annum capacity, including:

• passing loops
• road and rolling stock maintenance facilities
• water supply pipeline
• track and signalling maintenance facilities
• staff accommodation and training facilities.

Jobs:

• Up to 2017 (construction)
• Up to 369 (operational)

Project 3 (2 parts) - Part 1 Abbot Point Growth Gateway Project

Description:-

The Abbot Point Growth Gateway Project involves dredging 1.1 million cubic metres in situ of seabed, which will then be placed on vacant industrial land, next to the existing coal terminal. This project will allow for the construction of a second trestle at the Port of Abbot Point, increasing the port's capacity from 50 to 120 million tonnes per annum.

The Project is expected to generate significant economic activity during the construction phase. However, it should be noted that the works associated with the construction phase are highly capital intensive.  As such, while employment generated by the Project will be significant, it is not as significant as what might occur in another heavy and civil engineering construction project!

Part 2 Abbot Point Coal Terminal 0 Project

Description:-

Adani Australia‘s T0 terminal at Abbot Point Port would be located adjacent to the existing T1 terminal and within the port’s current limits.
The project would involve the onshore construction of rail in-loading facilities, coal handling and stockpiles. Conveyors would connect these facilities to two new ship loading berths, approximately 3km offshore.

Jobs: for 2 parts

• 1705 (construction)
• 428 (operational)

   
Below is a link to the affidavit from the court hearing where the disinformation of jobs (1464) were created. The far left media and environmentalists cherry picked those figures, without looking at the facts that Jerome was ONLY quoting figures for phase 1 of 1 Project only. As seen above, there are more projects involved, and, the jobs created will be huge.

Affidavit

And, just to prove that there are a massive amount of jobs, associated with coal mining. Please refer to the pictures below, showing other coal mines and only their direct employment. Remember, to multiply that figure by 4.4 to get an indication of the indirect jobs. Most of these mines are small, some are quite huge, but, not as big as Adani's! Just another indication that the #SopAdani movement have no idea about coal or the jobs associated with them.

 Source: - Coal Mining Central Queensland

Some links below to other coal mining ventures in Qld. Check out how many jobs are associated with them as well!! Don't forget to multiply them by 4.4 for the indirect jobs amount!

Red Hill Mining Lease Project

 14 million tonnes per annum of coal, and , a permanent workforce of 1500! Indirect jobs would be - 6600! 

Kevin's Corner Project

 

Galilee Coal Project 

 

So, the next time you see someone quoting only 1464 jobs , please direct them to the above information. The problem with the #StopAdani movement is that , they never let the facts get in the way of a good story. And, believe me, their story telling is getting more intense and ridiculous by the minute. All they have really is lies and disinformation. The facts will show them up for the liars they are!

#GoAdani

Adani's Galilee Basin Projects - The Facts

So who is Adani?

 

Adani is a globally integrated infrastructure and energy business covering ports and logistics, power generation, including cleaner thermal and renewable energy generation, power transmission & agribusiness as well as resources, spanning India, Asia and now Australia.

Adani's Carmichael mine remains public enemy No.1 for environmental groups who are using the "Battle for the Galilee" as their strategy to end any new coal mines in Australia.  Their plans were laid out in full detail in a leaked document orchestrated by Greenpeace Australia.  Below is a link to this document.

Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom

After eight years of delays and uncertainty , Adani Australia's chief executive Jeyakumar Janakaraj – known in the industry as "JJ" – late last year set a March 31 deadline for the company to find the remaining funds for the $6.7 billion first stage of the mega-mine, which would be one of the largest open-cut coal mines in Australia.

Since Janakaraj announced the March deadline – to coincide with the end of the Indian financial year – the company has been hit with a number of setbacks on the project.  These setbacks are ofcourse all because of the environmental groups using continual delaying tactics which were stated quite clearly in the above Greenpeace document.

 

The Journey So Far.......

Adani entered the Australian market in 2010, with the intent to open Queensland’s Galilee Basin, unlocking the coal resources within it. 

A unique aspect of the mine’s development is the ‘pit-to-plug’ strategy, insulating the coal from fluctuations in the global market, as well as capitalising on Adani’s infrastructure strengths and capabilities to build a multi-user rail line to the site. 

Since then, Adani has expanded its investment into Australia with the acquisition of the Abbot Point Coal Terminal in 2011, the purchase of the Abbot Point BulkCoal Operating business in 2016 and the entry of the Adani Renewables business in 2016 with a focus on large-scale renewable energy projects. 

 

Timeline

Mar 2018 - Adani misses coal deadline to start shipping thermal coal -  The company now expects first production to be delayed by up to a year.

And, you may ask, why more delays. Once again, please refer to the Greenpeace document above. It is all clearly stated in there how the environmentalists would delay this project.  For more information on the War on Coal, please read our Facebook post - link below.

War on Coal

There is a lot of misinformation and disinformation spread worldwide about this project. Mainly by Environmental groups and their followers.

Below are myths and the facts that corrects some of the misinformation , disinformation spread about the project.

MYTH
Shipping the coal from North Queensland will put the reef in danger from spills and other forms of damage.

FACT
Every ship travelling through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority area is under strict guidelines and must be operated by highly experienced Australian pilots. This was introduced in 1991 to significantly reduce the risk of collisions and groundings. This will be the same for any ships travelling on their way through the reef waters.
Source: GBRMPA

MYTH
The government has bent over backwards and removed regulations to get this project over the line.

FACT
Adani has spent many years working to get the Carmichael mine project underway by meeting government regulations. It has already spent $3.3 billion to get to this stage and over $100 million in court costs to date. Since the start of 2015, 22 key Commonwealth, State and local government approvals have been granted for Adani’s mine, rail and port facilities and there have been 29 key milestones reached.
Source. State Government. 

MTYH
Adani cannot be trusted with their environmental responsibilities

FACT
There are about 200 rigorous environmental controls imposed on this project as part of its approval process. Failure to meet these would mean immediate consequences from the State or Federal Government that would jeopardise the project.
Source: State Development Minister Dr Anthony Lynham 

MYTH
Jobs will not be created for Australians or regional Queenslanders.

FACT
Adani has given a written pledge that it will not use 457 Visa holders for any construction or operational jobs.
Source: Adani Group

MYTH
The mine will drain from the water table damaging the environment and farmers.

FACT
Adani has been granted a water licence that will directly address this issue. Similar objections were raised in the Land Court and were cleared. Adani claim that not one directly affected land holder raised any objection in the Land Court.
Source: State Government/ Adani/ Land Court 

MYTH
The economic case does not stack up for the mine

FACT
Adani is an infrastructure company, owning and running the ports, power plants and even the wires which provide power to homes. Given the company knows its own demand requirements the Australian mine will fit into this vertical structure from the ground to the grid. It has also invested $3.3 billion into the project and fought multiple legal battles instead of pursuing similar projects in other countries.
Source: Adani

MYTH
Dredged spoil will damage the Great Barrier Reef

FACT
Adani has reached an agreement with the State Government that spoil will be placed onshore in an area approved by environmental authorities. The company owns and operates the Abbot Point bulk coal loading facility and wants to expand this with a once-off dredging operation because the port is not affected by river run off and silting. This has been approved on stringent conditions the spoil will not touch the reef.
Source: State Government 

MYTH
This project will significantly worsen climate change by contributing to emissions levels around the world.

FACT
Both Australia and India are signatories to the Paris Agreement on climate change and thus have agreed they must meet their required targets for greenhouse gas production. Adani believes use of Queensland coal will in fact assist in this goal because Australian coal is 1.5 times more efficient than coal available in India or Indonesia.
Source: Paris Agreement/ Adani

MYTH
Thousands of tourist jobs are in danger compared to the limited impact the struggling mining industry has on the local economy.

FACT
The Carmichael Mine must obey stringent environmental conditions, ships must be steered by an experienced pilot and India has agreed to reduce its greenhouse emissions in the Paris Agreement. The Great Barrier Reef is understood to support 70,000 jobs both direct and indirectly. The coal industry in Queensland alone is understood to have directly supported 19,072 fulltime employees in 2015-16 with local spending supporting 164,482 indirect jobs.
Source: Queensland Resources Council, State Government 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facts versus Myths - Adani's Water Usage

There has been a lot of disinformation spread about the water that Adani will use for the Carmichael Coal Mine.

Most of this disinformation has been spread deliberately by anti coal activists whose aim is to discredit Adani's project anyway they can.

Below we will show the truth of the matter.

Facts Versus Myths 

Firstly, we have seen on social media and other media outlets that Adani is supposedly going to get unlimited FREE water? That he is going to drain the Great Artesian Basin? Poison the water!

The facts are - The government issued a ­licence for groundwater — underground water which is extracted as the mine is dug — and another restricted licence for the use of surface water, for which Adani will have to pay a premium price.

Now, before you all go off about the Ground Water, let's delve further and explain what that means. Firstly, by looking at the difference between Groundwater and Surface water!

What is groundwater?

Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock become completely saturated with water is called the water table. Groundwater is recharged from, and eventually flows to, the surface naturally; natural discharge often occurs at springs and seeps, and can form oases or wetlands. Groundwater is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal, and industrial use by constructing and operating extraction wells. The study of the distribution and movement of groundwater is hydrogeology, also called groundwater hydrology.

What is surface water?

Surface water is water on the surface of the planet such as in a river, lake, wetland, or ocean. It can be contrasted with groundwater and atmospheric water. Non-saline surface water is replenished by precipitation and by recruitment from ground-water. It is lost through evaporation, seepage into the ground where it becomes ground-water, used by plants for transpiration, extracted by mankind for agriculture, living, industry etc. or discharged to the sea where it becomes saline.

Now that we know the difference between the two, let's go further to explain what and how much Adani will use.

With regards to the Surface Water -

The surface water licence allows the project to use 10,800 megalitres a year at $1866 per megalitre.

Farmers in the lower Burdekin catchment have access to 1.229 million megalitres and pay about $570 a megalitre.

Adani must pay $20 million dollars before he can draw any of the Surface Water.

Surface water, which Adani has to pay three times more for than the local farmers, is carefully monitored and regulated for all ­industry — for agriculture and for mining.

This needs to be put into perspective: in total, the licences provide the mine with access to less than 1 per cent of the volume of water that farmers are able to use in the Burdekin catchment now.

Ground Water

The government has issued a licence for groundwater — underground water which is extracted as the mine is dug.  

 

All underground mines in Queensland have a regulated right to remove groundwater to keep their operations safe.  And, there are quite a few sitting over top of the Artesian Basin!! Most of the water will also be re-used.

The Palaszczuk government defended the water licences it granted to Adani, saying the Carmichael mine was likely to draw the same amount of groundwater that a cane farm uses in a year.

Queensland’s State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Anthony Lynham said that modelling had shown the mine would extract only a fraction of groundwater used by local farmers.

Link to Water Licence : - Carmichael Coal Mine Water Licence

Now let's take a look at the Great Artesian Basin, just so that we can put it into perspective!!

Australia’s Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is one of the largest artesian groundwater basin complexes in the world. It lies beneath 22% of Australia and intersects four Australian State and Territory boundaries.

Fast Facts!

Total Area - 1 700 000 square kilometres

Total Stored Volume - Greater than 65 000 000 000ML

70% of the GAB is in Queensland!

The GAB is recharged mainly along the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. Once water enters GAB aquifers, it moves slowly at a rate of one to five metres per year.

Discharge occurs in different ways including through springs, rivers, leakage between aquifers, evapotranspiration and through extraction.

Currently there are around 6500 licences and 21 permits in Queensland.

 Licenced water use in the Queensland GAB

For more information about the Great Artesian Basin - GAB Facts

 

So, as you can see, the basin is huge, and, constantly being renewed with water. Will Adani drain the basin?? Ofcourse not!! The basin is huge! Will the water table be poisoned by Adani's use of the Ground Water? Ofcourse not, many mines are already drawing water from the basin, with no damage at all.

If the activists who are against this mine are so concerned about the water that Adani may or may not use, maybe , they should worry more about the approx 160 uncapped bores that are still out there, spewing out water everyday, wasted!!

So, the next time someone says to you that Adani is going to get unlimited water for free and poison the Ground Water table, please share this information with them. 

Facts Matter!!

For more info on the Adani Carmichael Coal Mine and other mines ready to go in the Galilee Basin, please check out our Facts Pages and groups on Facebook. We are also on Twitter!

Bowen and Surrounds Need and Want the Abbot Point Expansion

Jobs4Qld Jobs4Aust We Support the Galilee Basin Coal Projects

Abbot Point Supporters Group

Abbot Point & Galilee Basin Projects Myths and Facts 

Abbot Point Expansion Facts Page 

War on Coal

Greenpeace Document Exposes Dirty Tactics Being Used to Destroy Coal Mining in Australia

 

A few years back a document was leaked to the media by Greenpeace. It was called - "Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom"

In this document it stated how the Coal Industry would be stopped in this country. 

Their dirty tactics and disinformation is what we are seeing today, everyday, everywhere!! On Facebook, Twitter, news articles, Television.

Adani's Carmichael Coal Mine Project was one of the mine projects they proposed to target first. And, as stated in their document - "Our strategy is essentially to 'Disrupt & Delay' key projects and infrastructure while gradually eroding public and political support for the industry and continually building the power of the movement to win MORE"

From delaying tactics with regards to ridiculous court cases, that they knew they could not win, Indigenous Land Rights, threats to the Great Barrier Reef , Land owners along the proposed rail line worried about impacts to their land, health reasons, black lung disease, coal dust impacts, coal prices, viability of the mine, scandals with regards to Adani, and so forth. 

 Does any of the above ring a bell?

Think about it for a moment..... Please read this document, it is all stated how they would "Change the Story of Coal", discredit an Industry that Australia relies on.....

What we came across was a ‘funding proposal’ to destroy coal mining in Australia.

Created in 2011, it is a very detailed guide into the dirty tactics that have been used over the last six years to discredit the coal industry and destroy the livelihoods of millions of Australians, which now makes sense as to why the hurdles seem so large for Adani's Carmichael Coal Mine Project.

Now that we know these attacks were all ‘part of the their plan’ to start with – it goes a long way to proving our point that the conversation around coal is unfair, incorrect, short-sighted and baseless – its dirty activism and will cause irreparable damage to Australia’s economy.

The origins of the ‘Anti-Coal Movement’.

The movement was started in earnest in 2011, and we uncovered the full strategy cooked up by several interested parties, which is aimed at investing in a number of different ways to completely destroy the coal industry.  The ‘research’ that funded the report’s creation, was supplied, very interestingly, by the Rockefeller Family Fund.

The leaked document was written by Bob Burton from CoalSwarm, Sam Hardy from the Graeme Wood Foundation and John Hepburn from Greenpeace Australia Pacific. It was titled “Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom”, and when the plan was leaked to business reporters, a political backlash was sparked and led by Treasurer Wayne Swan, who called the plan “completely destructive and irresponsible”.

A link to the document can be found here - Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom
 

At the time BHP Billiton announced that they were “both disturbed and surprised”, and said that plans to harm the coal industry would be having a “direct impact on the livelihoods of thousands of Australians”.

Rio Tinto also weighed in, calling it a “blue print for economic vandalism”, and saying that it would threaten jobs, investment, and growth.

Document gave detailed plans to bring the coal industry down.

The document is a funding proposal aimed at getting the anti-coal movement mobilised, due to Australia being on the verge of an “unprecedented” coal boom. The proposal is inflammatory, and goes on to say that if the industry continues to expand it will have “devastating consequences for the global climate,” employing generalist and highly loaded phrases like “global climate tipping points” yet the document is scant on supporting research or scientific back-up.

The 6 elements of the plan, that they were seeking investment and money from interested parties to deliver on were:

1. Disrupt and delay key infrastructure projects – challenge and delay ports, rail and mega-mines
2. Constrain the space for mining – leverage coal seam gas outrage and point at coal industry
3. Increase investor risk – create political uncertainty to make coal mines a bad investment
4. Increase costs – remove subsidies and bog down new mines in litigation
5. Withdraw the social license of the coal industry – change the story of coal from a backbone industry to a destructive industry in the media
6. Build a powerful movement – networks, alliances and social movements

These ‘objectives’ would be delivered through a range of media campaigns, litigation, social media, advertising and other tactical points including specified ‘messages’ that would be seeded out to the media. They provided this super-confusing flow chart on page 5 showing how all these tactics intertwine to achieve their unfathomably short-sighted and self-interested objectives.

Targeted Plans – The Battle of Galilee & Hunter Valley

The Galilee Basin was a key focus of their proposed ‘activity’, the group wanted to drive up the costs for the Galilee Basin, causing such extensive delays that the projects would fail. The activists also hoped that more landowners in the Hunter Valley would be “locking the gate” against coal.

The so-called “Battle of Galilee” was prioritized, as the rail line to the basin was seen as one of the most important pieces of infrastructure since it would “unlock coal from a series of mega-mines” in the area which is rich in high quality coal resources. The plan was to capitalise on the basin’s links to the Great Barrier Reef, launching a public campaign which would put it under the international spotlight.

Other plans included building the anti-coal movement and mobilising off the back of the 2011 community backlash to coal seam gas. Martin Ferguson, the Resources Minister at the time, said that the “elaborate strategies which were designed to destroy Australian jobs and industries were very disturbing.”

The document also outlined a pitch for funding of up to $5.92 million which was to be used for litigation aimed at stopping the expansions of coal ports, new mines, and major rail lines. Conservative estimates suggests that to-date, this campaign has cost investors closer to $50 million in advertising, agency fees, consulting, litigation and events.

How they proposed to spend the $5.8 million to destroy an industry.

 Turns out – rent-a-crowds are super expensive to organise and ‘manage’.

Litigation: $1.35 million
Battle of the Galilee: $925K
Enough is Enough – Hunter Valley: $614K
Activism in Victoria & WA:  $280K
Change the Story of Coal (Media costs): $665K
Investor Uncertainty: $220K
Exposing the ‘Health Impacts of Coal’: $100K
Staff Training, Admin, Management: $1.765 million

In order to ‘Change the Story of Coal’ one of the strategies proposed the hiring of staff who would be conducting “industry scandal research” so that instead of being seen as something which has created prosperity and jobs for Australia, coal would be seen as destructive, corrupt, and threatening to the global climate.

Movement Received Dodgy Funding.

In an article published by Australian Mining (and mainstream newspapers) in 2012, it was found that the anti-mining activists had received approximately $750,000 in funding from the federal government.

The Greenpeace proposal acknowledges Environment Victoria, The Conservation Council of Western Australia, and the Nature Conservation Council, who received government grants of $211,000, $319,420, and $213,215, respectively in 2011-2012.

Nikki Williams (Australian Coal Association CEO) said that the ACA was deeply concerned about anti-mining groups potentially “misusing public funds”.

John Hepburn, an author of the document in question, has admitted that he received $70,000 from the Rockefeller Family Fund, which is based in the US. Since this document was leaked, the Rockefeller family came out to the press in 2012 and distanced itself from the proposal and the campaign. That said, they were front-and-centre during the Four Corners ‘Coal is Dead’ not long ago!!.

Movement also has ties to the recent USA election

As was revealed by WikiLeaks during the recent US elections via the Podesta emails is that these Activists have ties to the US.

In one of the emails John Hepburn was praising the efforts of people such as Tim Buckley from the IEEFA (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis) which we are sure is a front for the anti coal movement. Link to their website here - IEEFA

Also note that the IEEFA gets funding from the Rockefeller Family Fund , which also funded the Greenpeace document!!


Other groups mentioned in the emails were - 
Getup, Greenpeace, 350.org,  Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Mackay Conservation Group, Market Forces and the Sunrise Project.

All involved in one way or another with the Stopping the Australian Export Boom document.

Link to WikiLeaks email - Podesta Email

Stand up and Speak Up – and DO IT NOW.

Its time to speak up for your industry and your livelihood.

In the year 2015-2016, the Queensland Coal Industry contributed $32.7 billion Gross Regional Product and, also employed, directly and indirectly, 164482 people. Regardless of their personal environmental views, it defies belief that the anti-coal movement are so willing to drag down an entire industry – taking with it the employment prospects, livelihoods and economic security of almost 1 million people in Queensland alone (not to mention those employed, directly or indirectly by coal in NSW, WA and the rest of the country).

What we must realize, after researching this at length, is that we are but a very small voice in a David-and-Goliath battle against a movement that is well funded, well connected and essentially activating a well put together plan to achieve their objectives at ANY COST.

Extremism in any form is worrying, especially when it comes to the Australian economy. The Australian public should voice their disgust at the lengths the anti-coal movement is willing to go to in order to sabotage the coal industry, and in turn, all of the people who rely on the industry for their livelihoods.

If you work in Coal Mining – or supply to mining, infrastructure or any of the associated industries – you need to start making your voice heard. Consider this a rally-cry: so we come out booming just as loud to counter this nonsense before it, as intended, destroys our livelihoods.

The first thing you can do – is write personally to your local member of parliament. Voice your concerns to anyone you know.  Share this information so that everyone knows what is going on in Australia right now!!

Adani Abbot Point Coal Terminal - Bowen Nth Qld

Please check out our facebook group and facts pages, we also are on twitter. Links below -

Bowen and Surrounds need and want the Abbot Point Expansion

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Ten things you need to know about the Adani Mine Project

Myths versus Facts

There is a lot of misinformation and disinformation spread worldwide about this project.  Mainly by Environmental groups and their followers.

Below is ten things that corrects some of the misinformation , disinformation spread about the project.

ISSUE 1 (Edit -  no longer an issue, as the loan has been vetoed!)

The Federal Government is going to pay for half of Adani’s $2 billion rail line despite assurances it would not fund the project.

FACT

An application involved the proposed rail line to Abbot point has been passed on to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. The $5 billion fund is designed to develop Northern Australia by providing loans to projects that meet strict economic tests. Any money provided to kickstart the project would need to be financially viable Adani would be required to pay it back.
Source: NAIF website


ISSUE 2
Shipping the coal from North Queensland will put the reef in danger from spills and other forms of damage.

FACT
Every ship travelling through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority area is under strict guidelines and must be operated by highly experienced Australian pilots. This was introduced in 1991 to significantly reduce the risk of collisions and groundings. This will be the same for any ships travelling on their way to India.
Source: GBRMPA


ISSUE 3
The government has bent over backwards and removed regulations to get this project over the line.

FACT
Adani has spent the past six years working to get the Carmichael mine project underway by meeting government regulations. It has already spent $3.3 billion to get to this stage and $100 million in court costs to date. Since the start of 2015, 22 key Commonwealth, State and local government approvals have been granted for Adani’s mine, rail and port facilities and there have been 29 key milestones reached.
Source. State Government.


ISSUE 4
Adani cannot be trusted with their environmental responsibilities

FACT
There are about 200 rigorous environmental controls imposed on this project as part of its approval process. Failure to meet these would mean immediate consequences from the State or Federal Government that would jeopardise the project.
Source: State Development Minister Dr Anthony Lynham


ISSUE 5
Jobs will not be created for Australians or regional Queenslanders.

FACT
Adani has given a written pledge that it will not use 457 Visa holders for any construction or operational jobs.
Source: Adani Group


ISSUE 6
The mine will drain from the water table damaging the environment and farmers.

FACT.
Adani is in currently applying for a water licence that will directly address this issue. Similar objections were raised in the Land Court and were cleared. Adani claim that not one directly affected land holder raised any objection in the Land Court.
Source: State Government/ Adani/ Land Court


ISSUE 7
The economic case does not stack up for the mine

FACT
Adani is an infrastructure company, owning and running the ports, power plants and even the wires which provide power to homes. Given the company knows its own demand requirements the Australian mine will fit into this vertical structure from the ground to the grid. It has also invested $3.3 billion into the project and fought multiple legal battles instead of pursuing similar projects in other countries.
Source: Adani


ISSUE 8
Dredged spoil will damage the Great Barrier Reef

FACT
Adani has reached an agreement with the State Government that spoil will be placed onshore in an area approved by environmental authorities. The company owns and operates the Abbot Point bulk coal loading facility and wants to expand this with a once-off dredging operation because the port is not affected by river run off and silting. This has been approved on stringent conditions the spoil will not touch the reef.
Source: State Government


ISSUE 9
This project will significantly worsen climate change by contributing to emissions levels around the world.

FACT
Both Australia and India are signatories to the Paris Agreement on climate change and thus have agreed they must meet their required targets for greenhouse gas production. Adani believes use of Queensland coal may in fact assist in this goal because Australian coal is 1.5 times more efficient than coal available in India or Indonesia.
Source: Paris Agreement/ Adani


ISSUE 10
Thousands of tourist jobs are in danger compared to the limited impact the struggling mining industry has on the local economy.

FACT
The Carmichael Mine must obey stringent environmental conditions, ships must be steered by an experienced pilot and India has agreed to reduce its greenhouse emissions in the Paris Agreement. The Great Barrier Reef is understood to support 70,000 jobs both direct and indirectly. The coal industry in Queensland alone is understood have directly supported 19,072 fulltime employees in 2015-16 with local spending supporting 164,482 indirect jobs.
Source: Queensland Resources Council, State Government

Originally posted in the Townsville Bulletin - Ten things you need to know about the Adani mine

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More information about the project

The Carmichael coal, railway and port project includes building Australia’s largest thermal coal mine in the north Galilee Basin approximately 160km north-west of Clermont in Central Queensland, linked by a new 388 km standard gauge rail line to a new terminal at Abbot Point Port near Bowen. The combined mine, rail and port operations will provide over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs and supply opportunities for local businesses. 

Over its 60 year life this major infrastructure will not only support Adani’s operations, but the 388 kilometre rail line and port facilities have the potential to assist the development of other proposed mines in the Galilee Basin. 

The project benefits will be felt locally, regionally and across Queensland providing much needed job opportunities and generating around $22 billion in mining taxes and royalties in just the first half of the project life. This will assist in providing much needed public funding to help deliver schools,hospitals, roads and other services and stimulating activity throughout the economy. 

Mine Location

The proposed Carmichael Mine is mostly located on the Moray Downs cattle station within the jurisdiction of Isaac Regional Council, about 160km north-west of Clermont.

The site is accessed by the Gregory Developmental Road, which runs from Clermont to Charters Towers, and then the property access road via Moray Carmichael Access Road

Source Adani - Adani Australia