ESG

Queensland lays out Adani timeline

QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a three-week timeline for decisions on the final two approvals Adani Mining before it can start building its Carmichael coal project.

 The black-throated finch

The black-throated finch

This is not to say the government has to approve those plans. It just means it has to make a decision on them.

Under this timeline the Black-Throated Finch Management Plan decision is to be handed down by May 31 and the deadline for the Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Management Plan is June 13.

The Queensland coordinator general is also expected to release the government's target dates for finalising the royalties agreement, the deed of access and sublease for the rail, and other relevant infrastructure agreements.

Little more than one week ago the Queensland Department of Environment and Science said it wanted to conduct another review of the GDEMP.

This came after the federal government had granted its approval of the groundwater plan using CSIRO and Geoscience Australia advice.

When Adani received its federal groundwater approval on April 9 it was 3091 days into its approval process. It took 2891 days to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Palaszczuk called the announcement of the timeline a "breakthrough" in the project.

More cynical coal industry watchers might suggest the real breakthrough came on May 18 when Labor had its head handed to it federally over its equivocal views on the Adani mine.

Adani Mining CEO Lucas Dow said he welcomed Palaszczuk's timeline announcement.

"We will work closely with the Queensland government to achieve these timeframes and we expect that the Department of Environment and Science will now finalise these plans within weeks, not months," he said.

"This is a positive step towards construction of the mine and rail project.

"We will continue to uphold our end of the bargain and will undertake the necessary work to meet these timeframes and we're looking forward to the Queensland government doing the same.

"This will bring the lengthy, independent and rigorous two-year review process for these management plans to an end.

"DES has been reviewing the groundwater management plans for more than two years, across 11 versions.

"In addition pre-eminent scientific bodies CSIRO and Geoscience Australia have also conducted reviews of the groundwater management plans.

"Over the past two years, seven versions of the Black-Throated Finch Management Plan have also been submitted to DES, consisting of more than 1000 pages of advice. These have been assessed and verified by more than 10 different scientists, five environmental consultancy groups and even a Land Court judge."

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