Shipload of protest sails toward Adani
SAFETY will be the top priority for Adani as the company prepares for a visit from Sea Shepherd protesters at its port near Bowen.
The Sea Shepherd organisation’s ship, the MV Steve Irwin, is expected to travel near the Abbot Point Port early today. The ship has been sailing north along Australia’s east coast stopping to meet with Great Barrier Reef conservation groups for the past week.
The Townsville Bulletin understands security has been tightened and water police will be on high alert as the protesters, who have been vocal in their opposition to Adani’s Carmichael coal mine, approach the port.
A spokeswoman for Adani said the safety of staff, contractors and their families was the company’s first priority during Sea Shepherd’s visit.
“Our ability to operate safely and responsibly is critical to servicing our customers, providing jobs for employees, and delivering numerous and diverse benefits for the local community,” she said.
The spokeswoman said Adani supported the rights of people to protest.
“One of the great things about living in Australia is our ability to freely express our diverse opinions,” she said.
But the spokeswoman said the company did not want to see activists jeopardising the safe operation at Abbot Point.
“We remind activists visiting from Sydney, Melbourne and other cities, who are not locals and familiar with the port, its purpose, or contribution to the Queensland community, that it is an oper- ating port with large- scale machinery that should not to be interfered with for their own safety, and the safety of our workforce,” she said.
Speaking as the ship passed Mackay, Sea Shepherd Australia managing director Jeff Hansen said “support and resolve” to protect the reef had been grow- ing at each stop. “Further into the heart of the reef tourism, we also see a deep concern for the livelihoods at stake if the Adani coal mine goes ahead, which is putting at risk some 64,000 Australian jobs that the reef supports,” he said.
“We also hear about the strain placed on battling farming families, as the pro- posed Adani coal mine has been granted unlimited access to groundwater by the Queensland Government.”
Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane called out the hypocrisy of Sea Shepherd’s anti- Adani campaign, pointing to the vast mineral resources in its flagship vessel.