Adani meets with DES and the Coordinator General

“[On 23 May] we met with officials from the Department of Environment and Science (DES) and the Coordinator General to put a timeline on finalising the outstanding management plans for the Carmichael project once and for all.

“We welcome the intervention from the Premier to get the Coordinator General involved, to ensure these approvals are concluded in a timely manner.

“T[he] meeting was constructive and a positive step. We have been asking for clarity of timing and process for more than seven months now, and we are now more confident than ever that we will receive it.

“There are a couple of elements to finalise with the Coordinator General and I will be doing that this afternoon and tomorrow morning.

“Assuming that all goes to plan, the Premier will be in a position to publish the process and timeframes formally.

“Whilst we are working through the final details we believe the timeframes discussed to date are sensible and achievable.

“Ultimately however, actions speak louder than words. We look forward to the Coordinator General working to ensure that the agreed timeframes are met.

“We are not being pig-headed about finalising these plans and will work with state government officials as quickly as possible in order to move forward.

“DES has been reviewing these environmental management plans for over two years now.

“DES has been reviewing the groundwater management plans for more than two years, across 11 versions, and had access to CSIRO and Geoscience Australia’s previous assessments for over six weeks.

“Over the past two years, seven versions of the Black-Throated Finch Management Plan have been submitted to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, consisting of more than 1000 pages of advice which have been assessed and verified by more than 10 different scientists, five environmental consultancy groups and even a Land Court judge.

“DES officials have provided input and reviewed every version, every step of the way over the past two years.

“My team and I look forward to working with the Coordinator General and the Department of Environment and Science to get the Carmichael project done.

“I have also spoken this morning with Stephen Smyth, CFMEU Queensland Branch President of the Mining and Energy Division, and briefed him on the status of the approvals, and confirmed his ongoing support.

“We are determined to see this through for the benefit of Queensland and in particular for the people in regional Queensland.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/23052019/adani-meets-with-des-and-the-coordinator-general/