Adani coal proposal no threat: Shorten

ADANI’S proposed coal mine would not worsen Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to federal Labor leader Bill Shorten.

When asked when there would be enough damage from climate change – such as harm to the Great Barrier Reef – to prompt Labor to block the mine, Mr Shorten said he didn’t accept the proposition.

“I believe that our policies on renewable energy will actually reduce our emissions. The actual decision about Adani is not going to affect Australian emissions,” he said after a speech yesterday.

“The IPCC ( Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has made it clear that the way you take global action isn’t through particular projects.

“So we are very committed to protecting the reef, we are very committed to taking action on climate change, and we’ve made it very clear that we won’t put any taxpayer resources into the Adani mine.”

His comments came as dozens of activists opposed to the Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin rallied outside the Sydney event.

Others formed queues yesterday morning outside Mr Shorten’s Melbourne office and the offices of senior Labor MP Anthony Albanese in Sydney and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaczszuk.

Brisbane- based Stop Adani activist Anne Gardiner said Labor’s energy policy lacked credibility if it allowed the Adani mine to go ahead.

“With the impacts of climate accelerating, the world just can’t afford to mine and burn more coal or allow unprecedented volumes of water to be extracted from inland rivers and precious water basins,” she said in a statement.