Work to start on Adani mine in October
Indian mining giant Adani has announced it will start early works on its Carmichael coal mine in Queensland in October.
Company chairman Gautam Adani has issued a statement confirming the start of works for the $16.5 billion project in Queensland's Galilee basin, with the first coal to be produced by the facility in March 2020.
Adani's Australian head Jeyakumar Janakaraj said Charters Towers-based civil contracting firm GA Services would be among the first regional contractors to benefit from the start of works.
"Adani Australia's regional content initiatives will have long-term benefits for Queensland, particularly for contractors like GA Services who help us meet our indigenous content targets," said Mr Janakaraj said in a statement.
Queensland Resources Council boss Ian Macfarlane welcomed the announcement.
"I congratulate Adani on its ongoing commitment to source contracts locally and the company's leading practice targets for indigenous employment and participation," Mr Macfarlane said.
"Adani have had a clear objective on working with local suppliers to maximise the opportunities for regional Queensland right from day one."
The company decided to move forward on the project after the Federal Court dismissed two legal bids to stop it from going ahead, from traditional owners and environmental groups.
Appeals lodged by the Australian Conservation Foundation and traditional land owner Adrian Burragubba were dismissed on Friday.
However, the Environmental Defenders Office said it would continue to examine the lawfulness of the mine.
ACF campaigner Basha Stasak said the announcement by Mr Adani referred to using money from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, however the NAIF is yet to formally announce any funding for the Camichael mine.
"This is all part of Adani's ongoing shake down tactics to force the Turnbull government into tipping cash into a dirty polluting project that no Australian bank will touch," Ms Stasak said,
"Public money should not go to any project that will pump billions of tonnes of carbon pollution into the atmosphere and threaten the survival of our Great Barrier Reef."
The Palaszczuk government has long been in favour of the project, although it has caused deep divisions between the party's Left and Right factions. The Left headed by Deputy Premier Jackie Trad is ideologically opposed to the mine on environmental grounds while the Right lead by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, has been spruiking its boost to the state's coffers.
A government spokesman told AAP on Monday they "welcome any support for Queensland jobs."
AAP
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