Adani the only hope for endangered black-throated finch’s survival

The endangered black-throated finch faces extinction if the Adani coal mine does not go ahead, ecologists have warned.

THE endangered black-throated finch faces extinction if the Adani coal mine does not go ahead, ecologists warned yesterday.

Adani Mining CEO Lucas Dow confirmed that a massive conservation protection zone around the finch planned by the mining giant would be scrapped if protesters succeeded in stopping the mine.

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The vulnerable finch would then be at the mercy of packs of feral cats that feast on the birds while wild pigs would further destroy its habitat.

The endangered black-throated finch will be protected by Adani’s conservation zone.

“Ironically these kind of mining projects create security of habitat that otherwise would not exist,” said an ecologist who asked not to be named for fear of Green-Left reprisals.

He said proponents of the mine had been threatened and Adani contractors followed home. The finch had everything to lose if the State Government succeeded in blocking the mine.

Under Adani’s environmental protection plan approved by the Federal Government the finch would get a constant water supply and bushfire protection while grass seeds favoured by the bird would also be nurtured.

“The way to protect habitat is to create a national park or conservation area just like the one we have set up. Without the Adani conservation area, this protection won’t exist,” he said.

The Palaszczuk Government has controversially set up an enviro taskforce to vet the federal approvals – even though Adani has agreed to 80 conditions to be monitored by independent experts.

Adani has criticised the taskforce for containing anti-coal activists. Mr Dow accused the State Government of moving the goalposts at the 11th hour.

Adani had taken a long-term lease on the Moray Downs cattle property as part of its conservation plan.

Photo of Black-throated Finch of black-rumped northern race, atropygialis.

“The black-throated finches that live on Moray Downs will not be guaranteed protection without the Carmichael mine and its conservation area,” Mr Dow said.

“We provided this advice in the Land Court in 2015 and the Court subsequently found in our favour.

“This is an example of how mining projects create security of habitat that otherwise would not exist.

“The only way to formally protect habitat is to create a national park or conservation area just like the one we are establishing. Without the Adani conservation area, this protection won’t exist.

“The conservation area approved under the strategy is more than 33,000 hectares; one of the largest privately managed conservation areas in Queensland.

“The management plan has been approved by the Federal Government and contains more than 80 management actions to help protect the finches, which we must report on annually.

“We will engage independent ecologists to monitor the finch population at Moray Downs and ensure they thrive under the measures outlined in the plan.”

He said the Queensland Government had shifted the goalposts just as the project was set to get underway.

Mr Dow added: “We hold serious concerns about the independence of the Black-throated Finch Management Plan review, considering the involvement of the National Director of the Threatened Species Recovery Hub Professor Brendan Wintle.”