Skip to main content

Adanis' Australian coalmining project: Another top bank withdraws, indiginous people "rejoice"

By Our Representative
Following the announcement by the Commonwealth Bank to withdraw from financing the powerful Indian Adani Group’s controversial Australian coalmining project, the National Australia Bank (NAB) has declared it too is “withdrawing.” The National Australia Bank has announced that it will “not fund Adani’s Australian Carmichael coal mine project”, a highly placed source in Australia said.
Welcoming the NAB’s decision, the lead spokesperson of the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners Family Council, representing traditional owners Galilee Basin, where the project is proposed, has said, the NAB has ruled out “any involvement, now or in the future, in financing this disastrous project”.
“Today, NAB has acted with moral authority and in accordance with the principles of corporate social responsibility to which it is signatory. Its decision brings this disastrous project one step closer to its demise”, W&J spokesperson Adrian Burragubba said. “Our Council is deeply heartened.”
“NAB’s announcement comes one day after the W&J leaders met with senior officials and the Indigenous programme leader from the bank. “It was clear in our meeting that this corporate giant has a meaningful grasp of the fact that the W&J Council opposes Carmichael, and that, crucially, the project does not have the free, prior and informed consent of our people”, the spokesperson said.
“The bank had clearly done its due diligence. It understood that we have rejected a land use agreement with Adani for the mine, and that no means no”, the spokesperson said, adding, “The meeting reinforced for our people that our moral claim to exercise our rights in relation to our traditional lands is recognised by responsible businesses”.
So far, as many as 10 international banks, including Adani’s former chief financier for Carmichael, Standard Chartered, have withdrawn from the project.
Meanwhile, the W&J Council has decided to call on the remaining two of Australia’s big four banks – Westpac and ANZ – which have not ruled out funding, “to confirm without delay they will not support the Carmichael coal mine with finance”, the spokesman said.
“Only two of Australia’s big 4 banks now remain on the wrong side of history. We are convinced that when they examine the Carmichael project and see its lack of economic viability, its destruction of the environment, and the cost to our rights, culture and our sacred ancestral lands and waters, they can only reach the same conclusion as their peers – to definitely walk away from the project”, the spokesperson claimed.
The Federal Court of Australia last month set aside approval of the mine by Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, who will now need to review his decision on the mine. “We look forward to our day in Federal Court this month, as we bring our own challenge against Carmichael”, the spokesperson said.
We confirm, again, that we will do everything in our power to stop this mine ripping the heart out of our country, including, if necessary taking our case to the highest court in the land”, said Burragubba.
Yet, the spokesperson regrets, “It is bizarre and troubling that the Queensland province and Federal governments persist in their support for the Adani Carmichael project. They should heed the message of the NAB, the Commonwealth Bank, and a roll call of international banks and investors and recognise that Adani’s mine is at a dead end in history.”
“The future does not lie in the destruction of Aboriginal culture, the devastation of the environment, and the fueling of dangerous climate change”, he said. “It is time for Australian Governments to chart a sensible course on energy and development, cancel this project, to leave our lands and waters alone”.

Comments

TRENDING

Importance of Bangladesh for India amidst 'growing might' of China in South Asia

By Samara Ashrat*  The basic key factor behind the geopolitical importance of Bangladesh is its geographical location. The country shares land borders with Myanmar and India. Due to its geographical position, Bangladesh is a natural link between South Asia and Southeast Asia.  The country is also a vital geopolitical ally to India, in that it has the potential to facilitate greater integration between Northeast India and Mainland India. Not only that, due to its open access to the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh has become significant to both China and the US.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'BBC film shows only tip of iceberg': Sanjiv Bhatt's daughter speaks at top US press club

By Our Representative   The United States' premier journalists' organisation, the National Press Club (NPC), has come down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recent "attacks on journalists in India." Speaking at the screening of an episode of the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question,” banned in India, in the club premises, NPC President Eileen O’Reilly said, “Since Modi came to power we have watched with frustration and disappointment as his regime has suppressed the rights of its citizens to a free and independent news media."

Chinese pressure? Left stateless, Rohingya crisis result of Myanmar citizenship law

By Dr Shakuntala Bhabani*  A 22-member team of Myanmar immigration officials visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar to verify more than 400 Rohingya refugees as part of a pilot repatriation project. Does it hold out any hope for the forcibly displaced people to return to their ancestral homes in the Rakhine state of Myanmar? Only time will tell.

China ties up with India, Bangladesh to repatriate Rohingyas; Myanmar unwilling

By Harunur Rasid*  We now have a new hope, thanks to news reports that were published in the Bangladeshi dailies recently. Myanmar has suddenly taken initiatives to repatriate Rohingyas. As part of this initiative, diplomats from eight countries posted in Yangon were flown to Rakhine last week. Among them were diplomats from Bangladesh, India and China.

Over-stressed? As Naveen Patnaik turns frail, Odisha 'moves closer' to leadership crisis

By Sudhansu R Das  Not a single leader in Odisha is visible in the horizon who can replace Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He has ruled Odisha for nearly two and half decades. His father, Biju Patnaik, had built Odisha; he was a daring pilot who saved the life of Indonesia’s Prime Minister Sjahrir and President Sukarno when the Dutch army blocked their exit.

Natural farming: Hamirpur leads the way to 'huge improvement' in nutrition, livelihood

By Bharat Dogra*  Santosh is a dedicated farmer who along with his wife Chunni Devi worked very hard in recent months to convert a small patch of unproductive land into a lush green, multi-layer vegetable garden. This has ensured year-round supply of organically grown vegetables to his family as well as fetched several thousand rupees in cash sales.

Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Ban Ki-moon, others ask Bangladesh PM to 'protect' Yunus

Counterview Desk  A campaign has been launched to support Bangladesh-based economist, micro-finance guru and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, seeking signatures from citizens across the globe in order to “protect” his work, life and safety.

Electricity sharing opens up new window for India’s eastern neighbourhood engagement

By Sufian Asif* Today, challenges like climate change, pandemics, energy reliance, economic crisis, and many more are concerning us. No nation can overcome these obstacles without the assistance and collaboration of other nations. Most importantly, many of these problems have international repercussions. South Asia is facing much more difficulty when compared to other regions. In South Asia, we have some regional organizations, but they are ineffective.