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