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Approved Adani mining lease brings jobs a step closer: Townsville Enterprise
AFTER almost six years of environmental assessments, legal challenges and bureaucratic delays, Townsville Enterprise acknowledges the actions of the Palaszczuk Government and Minister Lynham over the weekend with the signing of three mining leases for the Adani Carmichael Mine Project.
This is a major vote of confidence by the State Government in the project and in North Queensland.
Townsville Enterprise Chief Executive Officer Patricia O’Callaghan said the move signals the beginning of a significant economic opportunity.
“We’ve been lobbying the State and Federal Governments for years to provide the approvals for this project. The mining leases are a step towards the proposed creation of thousands of jobs and the generation of $16.5B into the economy from the Adani project alone.
“But this is about much more than one project. This approval paves the way for mining projects to commence right across the Galilee Basin which will have flow on impacts across the north.
“Opening up the Galilee Basin provides an opportunity for Townsville North Queensland to become the services and workforce hub of the north, equipped with the skills and resources to service the resources and energy sectors.
Ms O’Callaghan said that the biggest challenge the Adani project will now face is from green and minority interest groups.
“Successive legal challenges to science-based approvals are a major obstacle for jobs and economic development in North Queensland.
“We know that Australia has the highest environmental reef standards in the world. Never before have we seen Governments so focussed on getting the right balance of policies that protect the Great Barrier Reef and our tourism industry and at the same time also allow major job-creating mining projects to prosper.
“We cannot let minority interests deny the job-creating benefits of this project's mine, rail and port projects to our region, our state and our country.”
Townsville Enterprise will be meeting with Adani and the Queensland Government over the coming weeks and will join with economic development bodies and Councils across the State to support the opening up of the Galilee Basin.
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