Protests across Australia against Adani coal mine project

Sydney [Australia], October 8 (ANI): A large number of Australians have come out to protest the India-based group, Adani Enterprises' proposed Carmichael coal mine in Queensland state, which is slated to become the country's largest coal mine, but had been delayed for years over environmental and financing issues.

The members of the Stop Adani Alliance even formed a human sign that spelled out 'STOP ADANI' at beaches and other popular locations across the country.

While the conservative voters are backing the project, the environmental activists argue that it will damage the Great Barrier Reef and increase global warming.

"A new piece of research came that shows over half of all Australians don't want this mine, and two-thirds of Australians don't want Malcolm Turnbull to give a billion dollar of taxpayers' money to a billionaire," said the president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Geoff Cousins, who was participating in one of such protests.

A survey conducted by ReachTel of almost 2,200 Australians found 55.6 per cent of respondents opposed the mine, while 65.8 per cent of those polled said that the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, should use her power to veto the $1bn loan proposal the federal government might give to Adani's project through the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility (NAIF).

The chairman of the Adani Group, Gautam Adani, is looking to get a loan of Australian Dollar 900 million (USD 704 million) from the NAIF for a rail link to the proposed mine.

Adani has said that the coalmine project would generate billions of dollars in royalties and taxes, expand the job market, and export 70 percent of coal to India to help electrify rural India. The rest will be sold in South East Asia.

The Carmichael coal mine project was first proposed in 2010, but has been stuck in legal disputes over environmental concerns by activists. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI