Adani lodges bankruptcy claim against Carmichael mine protester

Adani is trying to bankrupt a traditional land owner who fought to stop its $2 billion Carmichael mine in the courts.

INDIAN mining giant Adani is trying to bankrupt a traditional land owner who fought to stop its $2 billion Carmichael megamine in the courts.

Adani Mining has filed a creditor’s petition in the Federal Court seeking an order bankrupting Wangan and Jagalingou traditional owner and lead spokesman Adrian Burragubba, from Woolloongabba in Brisbane’s inner east.

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The company alleges Mr Burragubba owes it $637,960 after the Federal Court and the Court of Appeal ordered he pay legal costs of failed fights against the miner.

The Federal Court ordered he pay costs at the end of the case on August 23, and the Court of Appeal ordered he pay costs on August 9.

Mr Burragubba claimed in the Federal Court that his indigenous group did not give permission for the mine to go ahead.

Adrian Burragubba from the Wangan and Jagalingou traditional owners’ group

But the group is split over the use of its land for mining, with some clan members voting in favour of it at a meeting two years ago.

Mr Burragubba has appealed the single judge decision of the Federal Court, and has been ordered to pay $50,000 security for costs before it can be heard.

The group’s lawyer told the court that the traditional owners would raise the money for the costs by appealing to members of the public through an online campaign.

The full-bench appeal could be heard as early as May.

Adani alleges in the bankruptcy case that it served him with a bankruptcy notice on November 17 but he failed to pay by December 8.

The case, which was filed on December 19, is due in court for hearing by a registrar on February 6.

The proposed mine will be the first coalmine in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland.

Last month the mine’s owners said they would self-finance and it would be smaller than the initial $16.5 billion project, after banks and the State Government refused to provide loans.

Adani plans to start shipping coal by 2020 or 2021, but has yet to be given final environmental and planning approvals by the State Government.

Mr Burragubba did not return calls seeking comment.