Labor denies breaking Adani promise

THE Queensland Government has denied it will be breaking a promise to voters if it uses taxpayer funds to upgrade a road to the Adani coal mine.

THE Queensland Government has denied it will be breaking a promise to voters if it uses taxpayer funds to upgrade a road to the Adani coal mine.

Labor went to the last election vowing no public money would be spent on the controversial mine or associated infrastructure. But the State Government is now considering using public funds to upgrade a road leading to the Carmichael site.

Acting Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said the Premier would not back down on her promise, saying the funding would be given if it would benefit the local community. Picture: Liam Kidston

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad rejected Opposition claims her Government had lied to voters.

Public funds will only be used for the road if it can be shown benefits to the local community outweigh any helping hand to Adani.

“If this is about accelerating infrastructure in order to accelerate Adani’s interests then obviously it would be precluded because it would be inconsistent with the commitment that the Premier made,” Ms Trad said today.

“But if there is a legitimate reason why local communities need upgraded infrastructure, of course, we’re always in discussions, particularly with local councils around assistance for that,” she added.

The ABC has cited documents obtained under freedom of information laws showing the Government remains in negotiations about funding for upgrades to the Elgin-Moray Rd and the Moray-Carmichael Rd.

Upgrading roads that lead to the mine could cost up to $100 million.

A spokesman for the Government earlier said it was happy to talk to local councils about their infrastructure needs.

“Significant projects can impact on local road networks and improvements to those networks can benefit the greater community. Costs associated with major projects are recovered by the state on a commercial basis,” he said in a statement.

Before last year’s election, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insisted no taxpayer funds would go to the mine.

One of her first acts following Labor’s re-election was to veto a potential billion-dollar Federal Government loan to Adani for a rail line to service its mine.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington has accused the Premier of saying one thing before the poll to secure green preferences and then saying another.

The Mackay Conservation Group said the Premier must rule out providing any funds for the road.

“The Queensland Coordinator General recommended Adani be responsible for road upgrades and Adani said it would pay for the upgrade,” the group’s spokeswoman Maggie McKeown said in a statement.

“Why then would the premier spend public funds on this project?”

Originally published as Labor denies breaking Adani promise