Sidney: Adani’s coal mine project is facing mass criticism over his proposed Carmichael coal mine project near Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. There has been a protest launched ‘stop Adani’ against the Indian businessman across Australia.
His coal mine project had been delayed over the environmental threats of global warming, damage to Barrier Reef as well as due to the financial issues. Environment groups say the mine in Queensland state would contribute harm to the environment.
The “Stop Adani” movement organised 45 protests. More than 1,000 people protested at Sydney’s Bondi Beach forming a human sign showing ‘#Stop Adani’, said organiser Blair Palese from activist group 350.
“I think there’s a very real national concern that goes beyond Queensland about the idea of giving this mine a billion-dollar taxpayer-funded loan,” she said as per a report by Hindustan Times.
Protesters used banners such as ‘Go Home’, ‘global warming and coal mine go together’ hitting at mining giant Adani Enterprises during the protest.
A poll said that more than half of Australians oppose the mine, reported local media. Analysts also expressed scepticism over Adani’s financial status to fund the mine, whose initial cost is $4 billion.
Whereas, Adani says the project would pay billions of dollars in royalties and taxes, create jobs and export coal to India help bring electricity to rural regions.
As far as the funds are concerned, the Australian Conservation Foundation president Geoff Cousins, one top businessman, said it was unlikely Adani could proceed without the loan given by Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility.
“They’ve tried hard to secure commercial funding, but no bank will touch them. Stop Adani is an issues-based campaign, and the rest of the world sees the madness of building one of the world’s largest coal mines particularly when Australia has signed the Paris Agreement (on climate change),” he added.