Adani given let- off on wetlands review

THE State Government will monitor pollution levels at the Abbot Point coal terminal after Adani successfully appealed an order to conduct their own multi- million- dollar assessment.

Adani- owned Abbot Point Bulkcoal was ordered by the State Government in October to conduct the review of the Caley Valley Wetlands following accusations the company was responsible for contaminating the area during Cyclone Debbie in March 2017.

But yesterday, the Environment and Planning Court set aside the environmental evaluation notice issued by the Department of Environment and Science for the wetlands.

Abbot Point Bulkcoal lawyers had previously told the court the cost of carrying out the evaluation could exceed $ 2 million.

Following the decision, a DES spokesman said the de- partment would do its own monitoring of the wetlands.

“DES considers that there should be suitable monitoring in place prior to the upcoming wet season, which the department plans to carry out itself, rather than expending further funds in court processes and waiting for a court decision,” he said.

The spokesman said if the department’s monitoring showed work was required to make the Abbot Point coal terminal more environmentally robust it would engage the facility’s operators to do the work “as a matter of priority”.

“DES will make public the results of the environmental monitoring and terminal water infrastructure review,” he said.

Abbot Point Bulkcoal chief executive Dwayne Freeman said the initial environmental evaluation notice was issued despite an assessment conducted by the DES and other authorities following the cyclone, which found no evidence of environmental harm.

“The port has been the subject of many false and misleading claims including that we had polluted wetlands during Cyclone Debbie,” he said.

“The court’s decision … is a clear acknowledgment that there was no reasonable grounds to issue the environmental evaluation, as no evidence of environmental harm ever existed,” Mr Freeman said.

He said the terminal was held to the “same strict environmental regulations as all other Queensland ports”.