TODAY, May 18, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has responded to an ABC story that the Queensland Government is offering a royalty holiday to Indian mining company Adani that could cost the state $320 million in lost revenue.
Imogen Zethoven, Fight For Our Reef Campaign Director said: “The Queensland Government (led by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk) made an election commitment that Adani must ensure its project is viable in an open, competitive marketplace. They also promised Labor would not do any secret deals.
“It’s a tragic irony that as our Great Barrier Reef is in grave danger from climate change and coral bleaching our government is courting one of the world’s biggest coal mines, playing Russian roulette with our Reef’s future.
“As Queenslanders still recover from the devastating effects of Cyclone Debbie, it’s sickening that our government is considering giving a billionaire a royalty holiday, as reported by the ABC.
“This is a project that will make extreme weather events like Cyclone Debbie more destructive and coral bleaching events more severe and frequent.”
“Adani cannot be trusted with our Reef. We’ve already witnessed this at Abbot Point, where during Cyclone Debbie they broke their permit to pollute by 800%, at a discharge point right next to our Great Barrier Reef.
“They can’t cope with their existing infrastructure – expanding their facilities three fold is a recipe for disaster.
“The Carmichael Project is a catastrophe in waiting – for our climate, tourism jobs, our economy and our Reef.
“Two thirds of our Reef has already suffered severe coral bleaching in the last two years. AMCS and our supporters are asking the Premier to keep her election promises – and to not give special treatment to this Reef wrecking development.”
Story Source: Australian Marine Conservation Society
