Conservationists appeal Adani challenge

The Australian Conservation Foundation is appealing the Federal Court's decision allowing the construction of Australia's biggest coal mine to go ahead.

Stock piles of coal at an open cut mine

Conservationists have lodged an appeal to stop the construction of Adani's Carmichael coal mine. (AAP)

Indian mining giant Adani has dismissed an appeal by the Australian Conservation Foundation to stop its Carmichael coal mine as yet another attempt by a "loud minority activist group" to spend years in court.

The Federal Court last month threw out the ACF's challenge to stop the $21 billion mine slated for Queensland's Galilee Basin from going ahead.

The ACF had argued the mine was inconsistent with Australia's obligation to protect the Great Barrier Reef from the emissions of coal but Justice John Griffiths dismissed the case.

The ACF on Monday lodged documents in the same court seeking to appeal to its full bench, which is made up of three judges.

ACF president Geoff Cousins said there was no doubt the foundation represented the concerns of the majority of Australians.

"The science is clear that we can have coal or the reef - but we can't have both," Mr Cousins said in a statement.

A spokesman for Adani said the ACF was ignoring the decisions of multiple state and federal courts that upheld exhaustive evidence-based environmental approvals.

"This is yet another attempt by a loud minority activist group to get not their day in court, but years in court," he said.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche also slammed the appeal and hoped the first thing the court would do is make ACF prove it could pay the costs of another failed court action.

"ACF's argument flies in the face of this reality and is the equivalent to ACF demanding that Saudi Arabia should take responsibility for emissions coming from the exhaust pipes of Australians' cars using Saudi oil," Mr Roche said.

If allowed to proceed, Carmichael would be Australia's biggest coal mine.

A hearing date for the appeal is yet to be set.


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Published 19 September 2016 2:02pm
Source: AAP


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