Adani coal mine: Global firm Aurecon cuts ties after climate change protests
Climate change activists have scored a major win in their fight against the controversial Adani mine, with a global engineering firm deciding to quit working with the company after being targeted by protests.
QLD News
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A GLOBAL engineering firm has quit working with controversial miner Adani after being targeted by climate change activists.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Aurecon, which has eight offices across Queensland, is expected to inform staff today that it has severed longstanding ties with the Indian company.
Aurecon worked on the original development of Abbot Point coal terminal during the early 1980s as well as several major expansions of the port before it was purchased by Adani almost a decade ago.
However, the company has been under pressure from anti-Adani crusaders who have repeatedly disrupted organisations with contracts to work for the miner using a variety of techniques to target their staff.
The company is on a list of organisations that work with Adani compiled by activist outfit Market Forces which targets banks, superannuation funds and other major industries involvement in fossil fuel projects.
Aurecon staff at career fairs across Australia were earlier this year targeted by activists from Market Forces masquerading as students.
In a statement, Aurecon last night said it would cease working for Adani once its current project at Abbot Point was completed and would no longer have any involvement with the miner.
“As part of this decision the firm has also ruled out working on any other Adani group of companies’ projects,” the company said.
An Adani spokeswoman confirmed Aurecon had finalised its relationship with the company but insisted this would in no way hinder the development of the Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin.
“While we are surprised by the decision, given the positive long-term relationship and the fact that we are not aware of any commercial issues or disputes between our companies, we value the work that Aurecon has delivered for our port and renewable energy businesses,” she said.
“We are already in conversations with other businesses and a number of companies have eagerly expressed their interest in taking up this portfolio of work.
“There has been a concerted campaign by extremists against our Carmichael project and businesses that partner with us. It has not succeeded and construction of the Carmichael project is well and truly underway.”
Aurecon’s decision comes just days after leading Queensland businessmen John Wagner and Warren Ebert urged governments to get tougher on activists who disrupted legitimate business activity.
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