Oz court revokes govt approval for Adani coal mine

NEW DELHI: In a setback to the Adani Group’s plan to build one of the world’s largest coal mines in Australia, the country’s federal court has revoked the government’s environmental approval for the $10-billion project.

The Australian court said the company’s July 2014 clearance would impact two species — the yakka skink and the ornamental snake.

The Australian government said it could take six to eight weeks for environment minister Greg Hunt to reconsider the approval given to Carmichael mine, in the north of the Galilee Basin.

“This is a technical, administrative matter and to remove this doubt, the department has advised that the decision should be reconsidered,” Australian environment ministry said in a statement.

While Adani did not immediately respond to HT’s request for comment, a statement on Adani Australia website said the ruling was a result of a “technical legal error”.

“It is regrettable that a technical legal error from the federal environment department has exposed the approval to an adverse decision. We have been advised that because certain documents were not presented by the department in finalising the approval, it created a technical legal vulnerability that it is better to address now,” it said.

The court’s decision was announced following the challenge by Mackay Conservation Group earlier this year. “There has been a huge level of concern. Our court case, for example, was funded just by the Australian people making small donations,” Ellen Roberts of the group said.

Kelly O’Shanassy, chief executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation, said Wednesday’s decision was based on just some of the problems identified with the approval of the mine. “The re-approval won’t be the end of challenges because there are fundamental problems relating to some endangered black throated finches. Also, evidence has come up that the mine would dry up critical springs and wetlands,” she said.