Premier: Adani timeline to be finalised within days

'The people have spoken up about what matters to us. We are worried about our jobs and we want a chance.'

Adani CEO Lucas Dow said "any statements from the State Labor Government professing their support of the resources sector and coal mining is simply more hollow promises”. Picture: Caitlan Charles

UPDATE 3PM: "This should take days, not months."

That was the statement given today by Resource Industry Network Director and Manager at G&S Engineering Mick Crowe, in response to the Premier's announcement about the Adani Carmichael Coal Mine project.

Speaking at Hay Point Coal Terminal this morning, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk demanded a timeline for the Adani project by Friday to get the ball rolling.

The coordinator general and an independent regulator will meet with Adani tomorrow to establish the timeline.

Mr Crowe said the announcement was great news, but he wanted to see prompt action.

"We've got gear sitting there ready to go and we've got people that have applied for jobs," he said.

"This has been eight years in the thinking, but it should be days in the doing.

"We are good at mining and we've proven we can work with birds, flora and fauna, so this shouldn't be a complicated process."

When asked whether the timing of the Premier's announcement had anything to do with the results of the recent Federal election, Mr Crowe said it was "democracy at work".

"I think at the end of the day, the election results showed that Queenslanders responded because we didn't see security in our future, because mining wasn't being supported," he said.

"I think now the state politicians are seeing no security in their future.

"The people have spoken up about what matters to us. We are worried about our jobs and we want a chance. I think the politicians are hearing there is a very loud message coming from."

UPDATE 12PM: ON THE issue of Adani, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has one message for the people of Queensland - enough is enough. 

Speaking at Hay Point Coal Terminal south of Mackay this morning, Ms Palaszczuk said she was fed up with the processes involving the major coal project. 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her team arrived in Mackay this morning. The group were greeted by Go Galilee protesters. Picture: Ashley Pillhofer

"I think that the community is fed up with the processes, I know I'm fed up with the processes and my local members are fed up with the processes," she said. 

"We need some certainty and we need some timeframes. Enough is enough. 

"What I'm asking today is for the two parties, Adani and the independent regulator, to sit down tomorrow with the Coordinator-General and work up a definitive timeframe on decisions around these two outstanding reports. 

"I want a timeline, hopefully agreed to by all of the parties, by Friday so I can release that to the public so the community has certainty, I have certainty and everybody has certainty for the process going forward. 

"I think enough is enough and I hope that both parties will accept this way forward in the best interests of Queensland." 

Ms Palaszczuk also apologised on behalf of Queensland Labor, for the Federal election result. 

"I'm sorry Labor let you down, I'm sorry that happened," Ms Palaszczuk said. 

"But I'm not going to let Queensland down. I am always going to stand up for this state and people know my fundamental commitment to this state and the people that are employed in all of the different sectors of the community that contribute to growing our state." 

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Ms Palaszczuk could not provide a clear answer on what would happen if no progress was made by Friday. 

"I am expecting a definitive timeframe by Friday," she said. 

"There are other projects in this state that have gone through processes and have approvals. We announced last week Olive Downs and a few weeks before that, Winchester South. 

"These companies get on with the job and they do it. But I sense the frustration of the community, I think everyone has had a gutful of this, frankly, and this is the process, I want all parties to sit down and work on it." 

When asked whether having a Minister for North Queensland could have sped up the Adani approvals process, Ms Palaszczuk said all of her MPs represented all of Queenland. 

"We are all about Queensland, we are the Queensland Government. I have very strong Assistant Ministers, I have Julieanne (Gilbert) standing beside me, I know Brittany (Lauga) does a great job... they are all working incredibly hard. 

Julieanne Gilbert MP Member for Mackay chose to vote for new legislation regarding the termination of pregnancy. Picture: Stuart Quinn

"The Federal Election was a wake-up call for everyone. I hear that message. I have been in tougher battles than this and I can give this commitment to Queenslanders, that I will do my utmost to continue to work in your interests. 

"Let's be clear, everyone in regional Queensland knows someone living in South East Queensland and everyone in South East Queensland knows someone living in regional Queensland... we're Queenslanders, we back the same team when we go to State of Origin and that is why we need to support each other. 

"Over the years some regional towns have been doing it tough. The Deputy Premier and myself are absolutely committed to making this (State) Budget a jobs budget and a big focus too on regional Queensland. 

"I know how important every town and city in this state is and that's why I'm always out and about talking to people and listening to people. 

Resources Minister Matt Canavan has called the Premier's announcement "pythonesque".

Mr Canavan said the announcement had not said very much at all. 

"If the Premier says today she's fed up with the lack of progress on Adani, the Premier needs to answer how long has she been fed up with her own government and why hasn't she done something about it before today," he said.

"The Premier has announced today that the solution to jobs in North and Central Queensland is to have a meeting. It's beyond a farce now.

"I'm not going to stop until, at the very least, we get this Adani mine approved and it's got to happen now, the people have spoken."

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UPDATE 11.45AM: SPEAKING at Hay Point Coal Terminal this morning, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has demanded a timeline for the Adani project by Friday to get the project off the ground. 

The Coordinator-General and an independent regulator will meet with Adani tomorrow (Thursday) to establish the timeline. 

Premier Palaszczuk said she would release the timeline to the public as soon as she has reviewed it on Friday. 

More to come. 

INITIAL: MINING giant Adani has launched a scathing attack on the Queensland Premier, accusing the Labor party of pulling "political stunts" with the coal project.

In a statement released this morning Adani CEO Lucas Dow said "any statements from the State Labor Government professing their support for the resources sector and coal mining is simply more hollow promises".

Mr Dow challenged the State Government to finalise and approve the two outstanding environmental management plans required to start the Carmichael coal mine.

"Anything less, even if they approve just one of the plans, is yet another political stunt that fails to back coal mining and our project," he said.

"We have given the State members all the facts, demonstrating we are ready to begin, provided the outstanding management plans are finalised by the Queensland Labor government once and for all".

Mr Dow said Queenslanders had given their "overwhelming support" for the mine to proceed immediately, despite the mine being at the centre of many national political debates during this month's Federal election.

With the Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, in the heart of coal country, touching down in Mackay earlier today, Mr Dow said, "We are looking forward to hearing what the Premier has to say this morning... We hope that we, along with the rest of Queensland will not be disappointed".

"It's time for the Queensland Labor government to stop shifting the goal posts and let us get on with delivering these jobs for regional Queenslanders".

"It is time to get the Carmichael project done," Mr Dow said.

Originally published as Premier: Adani timeline to be finalised within days