The Federal Environment Minister approved Adani's $16 billion Carmichael coal mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin in January this year.
The Mackay Conservation Group promptly launched a challenge in the Federal Court claiming the project would have deleterious effects on climate and endangered species.
Today the Federal Court ruled in favour of the community group on grounds the impact on the yakka skink and the ornamental snake had not been properly considered.
Adani will press ahead. The Queensland government is still behind the project and while it is embarrassing for Greg Hunt, for Adani, and for the bureaucracy - whose failure of process allowed the successful court challenge – this is by no means the end of the road for Australia's biggest coal project, yet.
The project is likely to be jettisoned, not on environmental grounds, but because it is grossly uneconomic
Then there is the International Energy Agency (IEA) which argues too that fossil fuel subsidies should be scaled back. For generations, governments have bankrolled big resources projects, shelling out taxpayers' money to make them stack up financially. Even now, the Queensland government is still pushing ahead with the proposal to give Adani a "royalties holiday".
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/adani-caned-but-not-canned-20150805-
Why the Carmicheal mine should not go ahead:
The mine is estimated to conribute 130 million tonnes of carbon pollution each year to global warming, four times New Zealand's annual climate pollutin.
It will take 29.7 billion litres from underground aquifers, causing a drop in water table levels on which local farmers rely. It could dry up or contaminate ancient springs, and drain sections of the basin.
It poses a huge threat to the Great Barrier Reef with it's contribution to global warming, potential to pollute ecosystems that support the reef and from the coal ships that will pass through the reef's waters.
it will destroy 10.000 hectares of endangered Southern Black-throated Finch habitat, plans to offset the damage are woefully inadequate and it could drive the species to extinction. It will also destroy the habitat of the vulnerable Yakka Sking and the Ornamental Snake.
It does not have the consent of Traditional Owners, the Wangan and Jagalingou people.
The mines proponent, Adani has a terrible track record in India of flouting regulatins and destroying environments.
Any of these factors alone should have stopped the approval of the Carmicheal Coalmine. Combined, the approval of the mine is unfathomable.
Also:
Adani Carmichael mine: Commonwealth Bank walks away from financial adviser role for $16 billion coal mine project in central Queensland
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-05/cba-terminates-adviser-role-for-adani-carmichael-coal-mine/667...
