“Adani bribery charges spark calls for review of Australian coal mine,” ran the headline in The Sydney Morning Herald, as news of Adani being indicted in the US for bribery spread. Greens senator Larissa Waters demanded a rethink on the suitability of the Indian conglomerate operating the Carmichael coal mine in Queensland.
“Federal and state governments should never have approved Adani’s coal mine in an age of climate crisis and they should have never provided billions of dollars in taxpayer grants and subsidies for this dodgy company to mine for coal on sacred First Nation’s land,” she was quoted by the paper as saying.
“The Green back the calls for the environmental approvals to be reconsidered,” she added.
Queensland’s Minister for Mines Dale Last said he had contacted Adani’s Australian unit Bravus, about the risk of disruption to local operations and a meeting is expected to happen.
In the meantime, Bravus hit back at Larissa Waters. The paper quoted Bravus as saying “We wholly reject Senator Waters incorrect statements about the approvals, funding and environmental performance of the Carmichael mine,” the company spokesperson said.
He also made the point that the $2.5 billion Carmichael mine had been self-funded and “did not receive any taxpayer loans or subsidies”.
“Thousands of Queenslanders are employed at the mine and in our rail freight business … and our operations make a significant contribution to local communities and the state and national accounts,” he said.
The Carmichael project has a controversial past. It drew huge criticism and warnings over the potential for environmental damage and the production of coal would only heat the planet.
But government leaders stepped in, seeing the project as an important source of jobs and economic activity in the region, the paper said.
GQG Partners which has shares in Adani group companies said “Our team is reviewing the emerging details and determining what if any action for our portfoiios are appropriate.”
Shareholder activist group Market Forces said its analysis showed some Australian super funds had upped their stakes in Adani firms and warned that “Super funds have no business investing their members savings in these morally bankrupt companies.”
