Major boost to $22 billion Adani coalmine venture? Australian govt seeks Chinese support for the project
 |
| An Australian protest against the project |
In a major boost to India's powerful industrial giant, Adani Goup's worth $22 billion Australian coalmining venture, the country's Turnbull government is said to have written to the Chinese government seeking the latter's support for the controversial project in the Queensland state, saying it would generate jobs and investment.
This has been brought to light, ironically, by the Left-leaning think tank Australian Institute (AI), which used freedom of information laws to seek documents from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. AI is one of the top Australian institutes campaigning against the project.
Reporting this, the Australian news portal, www.news.com.au said, AI was told it had "several hundreds of pages" relating to formal representations to foreign financiers, adding, the Adani Group got the strong official support from the country's government after "Australia's big four banks have all ruled out lending to the project."
The news portal adds, "The mine's fate is also resting on $1 billion Commonwealth loan for a rail line to the Carmichael mine, a decision that is in the hands of the independent Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund."
The portal reports, Attorney-General George Brandis confirmed during a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday that the government had indeed made a representation to China "to dispel the misinformation campaign of those from the radical left".
The portal continues, "Department secretary Frances Adamson suggested it (the letter) probably was generated from a request from the Indian mining giant, but ... she denied claims Australian diplomats had been masquerading as financial brokers seeking foreign backing for the project."
The "breaking news" from the news portal comes amidst anti-mining protesters displaying new ways of opposition to the project. On October 25, community members locked-on to stop Adani starting work on the mega coal mine, with several people attaching themselves to construction machinery
They "vowed to do whatever it takes to peacefully stop Adani’s mega coal mine from proceeding in Central Queensland", said Frontline Action on Coal (FAC), which organised the protest, adding, "Supported by over a dozen people, one person is attached to a front-end loader, another to an excavator and a third person has attached themselves to a grader, stopping work from proceeding near one of Adani’s workers camps."
The action took place when the workers were on site, said FAC, quoting Gail Hamilton, an engineer and former council employee from Townsville, as saying, “I’m scared about my children’s future. I think our government is seriously underestimating the potentially devastating impacts of climate change."
“My granddaughter has just turned five, I’m here to Stop Adani and protect the environment and our water for her future,” said fellow protestor Susanne Rix, from the Blue Mountains, while John Brinnand, a retired psychiatrist from the Sunshine Coast added, “I could not sit idly by and let Adani begin work. This is the line in the sand for me and thousands of people from all walks of life who will take peaceful direct action to stop this mine.”
The "breaking news" from the news portal comes amidst anti-mining protesters displaying new ways of opposition to the project. On October 25, community members locked-on to stop Adani starting work on the mega coal mine, with several people attaching themselves to construction machinery
They "vowed to do whatever it takes to peacefully stop Adani’s mega coal mine from proceeding in Central Queensland", said Frontline Action on Coal (FAC), which organised the protest, adding, "Supported by over a dozen people, one person is attached to a front-end loader, another to an excavator and a third person has attached themselves to a grader, stopping work from proceeding near one of Adani’s workers camps."
The action took place when the workers were on site, said FAC, quoting Gail Hamilton, an engineer and former council employee from Townsville, as saying, “I’m scared about my children’s future. I think our government is seriously underestimating the potentially devastating impacts of climate change."
“My granddaughter has just turned five, I’m here to Stop Adani and protect the environment and our water for her future,” said fellow protestor Susanne Rix, from the Blue Mountains, while John Brinnand, a retired psychiatrist from the Sunshine Coast added, “I could not sit idly by and let Adani begin work. This is the line in the sand for me and thousands of people from all walks of life who will take peaceful direct action to stop this mine.”
Comments