Extract from The Guardian
Government forced to play down ‘split’ amid reports of Queensland MPs
pressuring Coalition over key approvals for Carmichael coalmine
Labor has warned the government against making any major decisions on the Adani coalmine before the election, while Scott Morrison and his environment minister Melissa Price face internal pressure from some Queensland MPs to take action.
While playing down reports of a “split”, government MPs from Queensland, including James McGrath and Matt Canavan have kept up pressure inside Morrison’s office and the party room for key approvals for the Carmichael coalmine, including the ground water plan, to be signed off on as soon as possible.
But Labor’s environment spokesman Tony Burke cautioned the government from rushing through any approvals before the coming election.
“There are very strict rules about how a decision like this should be made,” he said.
“It is important that it not be rushed or made under political
pressure. It’s concerning that another minister, minister Canavan, is
trying to put pressure on the environment minister.”While playing down reports of a “split”, government MPs from Queensland, including James McGrath and Matt Canavan have kept up pressure inside Morrison’s office and the party room for key approvals for the Carmichael coalmine, including the ground water plan, to be signed off on as soon as possible.
But Labor’s environment spokesman Tony Burke cautioned the government from rushing through any approvals before the coming election.
“There are very strict rules about how a decision like this should be made,” he said.
Environment groups have also warned against any rash moves regarding the mine.
“It is outrageous that the Coalition is considering pushing through critical groundwater approvals for Adani’s mine on the eve of an election,” Christian Slattery, of the Australian Conservation Foundation said in a statement.
Canavan denied reports he had threatened to resign from cabinet over the stoush, releasing a statement on Friday morning that he “supports the government’s position to progress the Adani Carmichael mine, because we support the creation of jobs in regional Queensland”.
But no one denied the meetings, first reported by the Australian, took place.
The meetings with National party leader Michael McCormack and Morrison and Price were not attended by all Queensland National-party aligned LNP MPs, with National party leadership keen to stress it was not an official party room meeting.
While some saw the meetings as part of internal Nationals leadership tensions, with supporters of Barnaby Joyce falling firmly behind the Adani mine, others saw it as a last ditch attempt to have the mine all but signed and delivered in time for the election campaign, in a bid to help shore up crucial central Queensland seats.
LNP senator McGrath met with Adani representatives in budget week and is pushing to get the coalmine approved as soon as possible, given the election timeframe.
In senate estimates on Thursday, under questioning from Queensland Greens senator Larissa Waters, Department of Environment officials confirmed the department had received Adani’s updated ground water management and monitoring plan on 15 March.
The department delivered its brief and recommendation to Price on Monday 1 April, one day before the budget.
Officials also confirmed it had received advice on the project from CSIRO and Geoscience, but those agencies had not seen the updated Adani plan.
The groundwater approval is not considered to have been delayed, with the government insisting it would follow normal protocols.
But the groundwater approval is not the only hold up with the mine, with Adani’s management plan for the endangered black-throated finch, which is found in the mine’s proposed location, also needing a sign off.
The Galilee Basin mine, considered crucial by supporters in opening up the Queensland region to coal mining, was to begin construction of a scaled-back project before Christmas last year, after the Adani parent company offered funding.
The Queensland state Labor government then ordered a review of the black-throated finch management plan, which delayed the project further, with the Queensland resources investment commissioner saying the approval process for the mine could now take up to another two years.
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