Australian court dismisses case against Adani mine approval

MELBOURNE: Indian mining giant Adani’s plan to build one of the world’s largest coal mines in Australia cleared another legal hurdle Monday after a top court dismissed an environmental group’s plea for overturning the government’s approval to the controversy-hit A$21.7 billion project.

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The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) had argued in the Federal Court that the former environment minister Greg Hunt failed to consider if the impact of burning coal and climate pollution was in line with global obligations to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Welcoming the decision, the Adani company said the ruling had once again reinforced the stringency of the strict, science and evidence-based federal environmental approval process governing its planned mine at Carmichael in Queensland’s Galilee Basin.

“Over six years, there have been multiple approval processes, some two years of cumulative community consultation and submissions as part of those processes, and over ten appeals and judicial processes brought on by activists,” Adani said, adding that, “there can be no question that there has been more than ample opportunity for consultation, input and appeal and for activists to have their say”.

Clearly, the time has come for the will of communities who are crying out for these projects to proceed to have their voices heard not just those of activists from out of town, it said.