http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/
A Queensland court has found Indian mining company Adani exaggerated the economic benefits of its proposed Carmichael coal mine, including the amount of jobs and royalties the $16.5 billion project would generate.
In a judgment on Tuesday, the Queensland Land Court recommended the Queensland government grant mining leases and environmental approvals for the controversial project, which would become Australia’s largest coal mine.
But the approvals should only be given with additional environmental conditions, including regular monitoring of water bodies near the mine site in central Queensland and a more thorough assessment of the presence of threatened bird species, the black throated finch.
The findings are a win for the Indian mining giant, which has been battling legal challenges from environment groups and recently asked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to create special laws to block objections from green groups.
But in a blow for Adani, the court agreed the company had overstated the economic benefits that would flow from its project both in its environmental impact statement and in statements to the court.
Adani has promoted the project as a jobs bonanza for Queensland and its environmental impact statement forecast 10,000 jobs annually from 2024 and $22 billion in royalties.
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