Adani approval ‘an absolute mess’ says Queensland Resources Investment Commissioner Caoilin Chestnutt
One of Queensland’s top resource bureaucrats has warned the Adani coalmine may take another two years to be finalised.
One of Queensland’s top resource bureaucrats has described the environmental assessment process stalling Adani’s Carmichael mine as an “absolute mess’’ and warned that it may take another two years for it to be finalised.
In an interview while visiting India, Queensland’s Resources Investment Commissioner, Caoilin Chestnutt, said Adani had to go “back to the drawing board’’ after the Palaszczuk government ordered an 11th-hour external review to protect the endangered black-throated finch. The comments by Ms Chestnutt, whose job is to spruik the state’s resource industry to the world, is the first time the Queensland government has publicly put a timeframe on the now delayed approvals process.
But the Palaszczuk government moved to distance itself from the comments last night, saying Ms Chestnutt was “not authorised” to speak about the process.
It follows the widening split within state and federal Labor over the proposed mine in central Queensland, which this week prompted the mining union to threaten to campaign against ALP MPs and candidates who refused to pledge support for the project and coalmining.
First-term federal Labor MP Cathy O’Toole, who claimed the ultra-marginal seat of Herbert in Townsville by just 37 votes at the 2016 election, responded to the CFMEU with her first clear statement of support for the Adani project in the recent debate.
Ms O’Toole, a prominent member of the party’s Left faction, also accused the Palaszczuk government of being “unfair’’ and “changing the goalposts” over its decision to order the external review of the management plan for the finch.
Adani is also waiting on a CSIRO assessment of its water management plan.
Ms Chestnutt is one of the most senior bureaucrats in Queensland’s Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy.
When asked by a Reuters journalist how long it would take for Adani to get its environmental approvals, Ms Chestnutt said it could take up to two years.
“I would guess, but it is an absolute mess, six months to two years,” Ms Chestnutt told the reporter at a conference in New Delhi.
“They (the Environment Department) have said they have to go back to the drawing board and draft a management plan.’’
The comments were expected to damage Adani’s share price overnight on the Indian stock exchange. Adani had expected to begin construction of the mine before Christmas. But the project has stalled after the state government unexpectedly ordered the review of the finch management plan — which had been drafted in consultation with state officials — on the same day federal officials approved it.
The controversial project has been beset by delays, with the assessment and approvals process beginning in 2010.
Adani has secured all state and federal environmental approvals, with the exception of the management plans that were required as part of those approvals.
In a statement, Adani said Ms Chestnutt’s comments were another example of the state government “shifting the goalposts’’ for the company.
“It is an extraordinary statement to have come from a Queensland government representative,’’ an Adani spokesman said in the statement. “We have provided all required information data and feedback needed for this process to be completed and accordingly we expect to have these plans approved in the very near term.
“We have certainty as to the process and timeframes from the Australian government.’’
Last night, the Queensland Resources Council and CFMEU wrote to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk calling for her intervention and raising concerns about the treatment of Adani and the impact on the future “pipeline’’ of investment in resource projects that has been estimated at $77 billion.
Signed by QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane and CFMEU mining branch state president Steven Smyth, it called for Ms Palaszczuk to publicly commit to a timeline for the assessment process.
“We write to express our deep concern that this future pipeline and jobs for Queenslanders will be put at risk if there is uncertainty about the investment environment or the rules under which projects will be assessed,’’ the letter said.
The offices of Queensland’s Mining Minister, Anthony Lynham, and Environment Minister, Leeanne Enoch, refused to comment on Ms Chestnutt’s interview.
The Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy issued a statement saying her role “is to attract business investment to the Queensland resources sector’’.
“She is not authorised to speak about any specific environmental approvals as the Department of Environment and Science is the appropriate organisation,’’ the statement said.
At the time of publication, the Department of Environment had not responded to questions.
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