Adani says Carmichael mega mine will go ahead without public money

OPPOSITION Leader Bill Shorten says he is not “laying bets” about Adani starting work, despite the mining giant announcing today it will go ahead without any government funding.

OPPOSITION leader Bill Shorten says he is not “laying bets” about Adani starting work, despite the mining giant announcing today it will go ahead without any government funding.

He would not rule out a Labor government reviewing any of the environmental approvals already granted to the Carmichael mega mine in central Queensland.

The issue has proven divisive for the Labor leader, even within his own party, with some backing the anticipated jobs flowing from the project while others staunchly against the mine.

Mr Shorten expressed doubt over Adani’s announcement this morning.

“With no disrespect to Adani they’ve made plenty of statements in the past about deadlines which they haven’t met,” he said.

“Our positions very clear. Not a single Commonwealth taxpayer dollar will go into this project.

“It has to stack up under its own scientific, environmental and commercial facts.

“At this point I’m not going to start laying bets about when Adani starts work.”

OVERNIGHT: Adani will today for the first time explicitly declare its Carmichael mega coalmine will go ahead without any government funding, as the miner moves to reshape its public image.

And in a sign the multibillion-dollar job-boosting mine is inching closer, it can be revealed Adani met another milestone yesterday by submitting its new rail operating plan to Aurizon.

Fast track

Myths busted

Final hurdle

Adani Mining chief executive officer Lucas Dow will today announce the conceptual operating plan in what signals a shift in how the besieged company communicates with Australian voters.

It points to expectations Adani will soon announce how it will fund the Galilee Basin coalmine – a move that will be a political quagmire for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Mr Shorten has repeatedly expressed his doubts that the project would go ahead, and hinted Labor would ensure it never did if it won government.

Federal Government MPs told The Courier-Mail Mr Shorten would not be able to show his face in central Queensland if construction started on roads, airport and mining camp needed for the mine.

In an exclusive interview with The Courier-Mail last night, Mr Dow said momentum for the project was building

“We’re certainly cognisant that the project has attracted a fair bit of attention,’’ Mr Dow said.

He said it was key that people understood the facts and made up their own mind, and were not sidetracked by political cycles

“(Narrowing the rail gauge) has opened up a number of finance opportunities for us”.

Adani Mining CEO Lucas Dow wants to set the record straight on funding of the mine and rail line.

Mr Dow will today move to correct public debate on the mine, which promises to create thousands of jobs.

He said submitting the plan to Aurizon was an important step to kicking off the project’s construction.

“Importantly we are not seeking any state or federal money to kick off construction of the Carmichael project,” he said.

“There has been a lot of misinformation and speculation that we need taxpayer money to be able to build the mine and rail.

“This is absolutely not the case; this project will stand on its own two feet.”

Mr Dow said the plan would trigger a regulatory process to allow connection of the Adani rail line to the existing network, and then carry coal to the Abbot Point terminal for export.

Adani announced last week it would accelerate the project by dumping its original rail plan and linking instead with Aurizon’s track.

It had planned to build a 388km standard-gauge railway between the Galilee Basin and the Abbot Point port.

But the overhaul means a 200km narrower-gauge rail line connecting to the Aurizon network will be built at a dramatically reduced cost.

Mr Dow also moved to dispel myths that coal was dead, saying the project’s economic case was strong because of strong ongoing demand for coal in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Countries in Asia are developing rapidly and need energy to improve the lives of their people and provide infrastructure and services that people in the developed world take for granted,” he said.

“India and other countries in South-East Asia are the target market for our coal.”