Editorial: Queensland Government needs to take a stand and makes it position clear on Adani Carmichael mine.

Queensland needs a Government that supports all its industries, not one that plays games with the state’s future by sending mixed messages on the Adani coal mine, writes THE EDITOR

The first heavy equipment has arrived at Adani's Labona Camp in central western Queensland to commence construction on the Carmichael Mine. Picture: Cameron Laird

IT IS no secret that the Palaszczuk Government is all at sea over Adani’s Carmichael coal mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin.

The Labor administration has long been attempting to keep a foot in both camps over the Indian conglomerate’s proposal.

Stop Adani protesters gather in Townsville.

Its regional members advocate the job-generating prowess of the mine to their electorates, while MPs from the southeast corner attempt to soothe the ever-growing horde of angry activists by questioning its credentials.

The inability to muster the political courage to take a consistent position has created all manner of perverse scenarios that the Government has to tip-toe around.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and some of her senior ministers are loath to tour India, one of Queensland’s biggest and fastest-growing trade partners, fearing they might have to meet with Adani’s management.

A proposed royalty deal for Adani last term descended into high-level leaking and an unseemly public spat between ministers.

During the 2017 state election, Ms Palaszczuk chose to kowtow to environmentalists with her extraordinary veto of a Federal loan for Adani’s proposed multi-user railway to Abbot Point port.

And the Government routinely credits itself for delivering surpluses, even though the difference between the State Budget being painted in red ink or black ink rests almost entirely on Queensland’s coal industry.

In recent months, the administration has offered nothing but mealy mouthed platitudes about how the Carmichael project needs to stack up financially and environmentally.

Chairman of Adani group Gautam Adani at the 9th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) in India on Friday. The Premier and senior ministers are reluctant to go to India as they may have to meet Adani management. Picture: AP

Yet even when Adani announced it was self-funding a scaled-back version of the mine in a staged process, the Palaszczuk Government was mute because of its conflicted position.

However, the Government’s latest effort to placate internal forces opposed to Adani deserves to be called out.

The decision to subvert normal processes and conduct a review of Adani’s management plan for the black-throated finch reeks of political interference in departmental processes. It is the kind of departure from process that you’d expect from third-world countries prone to coups.

It will also force foreign companies to weigh up the sovereign risk of doing business in Queensland.

All this is only made worse because of the group the Government has chosen to conduct the review.

The Threatened Species Recovery Hub is made up of some very
well-regarded members of Australian academia who are passionate about their fields.

However, even they must have been surprised and bemused to be asked to conduct an “independent” review of the Carmichael mine’s black-throated finch management plan.

Bear in mind that numerous senior figures involved in the Hub have been outright critics of Adani, coal mining and, importantly, biodiversity offset policies.

While it might blame bird numbers, it is deeply contradictory to hold a supplementary review, this time after the Department of Environment waved through the Government’s Townsville ring road project that also involved biodiversity offsets for black-throated finches.

To dress this up as anything other than a stitch-up designed to thwart the project would be laughable, if it weren’t so serious.

The Carmichael mine heralds the prospect of jobs, something regional Queensland desperately needs. It also heralds royalty revenue, which Treasury’s coffers also urgently need.

However, Queensland now finds itself in a bizarre position where it has a Government no longer able to support the sector that has bankrolled this state’s prosperity because it fears activists and their electoral impact.

Hopefully, the wiser members of the Palaszczuk Government who remain supporters of the resources sector can thwart this new attempt to hinder Adani.

It shows, though, that Queensland needs a government that supports all its industries, rather than a government that plays games with the state’s future.

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BARTY A HIGH POINT FOR TENNIS

ASH Barty hasn’t just given herself a shot at an Australian Open quarter final and Grand Slam glory, but the little Ipswich dynamo has also helped restore the reputation of tennis.

Regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the public spat between Davis Cup coach Lleyton Hewitt and the game’s local bad boy Bernard Tomic, has been a blight on this year’s Open.

Ash Barty is a credit to the sport, both on and off the court. Picture: Michael Klein

The sport should be celebrating its new-found depth following the breakout performances of Alex Bolt, Alexei Popyrin and Kimberly Birrell.

Thank goodness for Ash Barty.

The 22-year-old who gave up the game briefly to play professional cricket for the Brisbane Heat, has been one of the local players worth cheering at this year’s tournament. Her fightback yesterday against former world No.1 Maria Sharapova demonstrated incredible fighting spirit and self-belief.

Her humility and good-natured humour in post-match comments will only win her more fans. But Barty does not just bring hope that an Australian can win the Open in Melbourne.

With so many competing sports, tennis needs motivated parents to be taking their kids down to the local courts. And she’s just the kind of character who can convince a whole new generation to pick up a racquet.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Sam Weir, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details are available at couriermail.com.au