Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Wetlands near Adani port to be monitored
Wetlands opposite Adani’s Abbot Point coal port will be monitored by the Queensland government following successful court action by the miner.
September 21, 2018
The Queensland government will begin environmental monitoring of nationally important wetlands near Adani’s Abbot Point coal port.
The decision on Friday follows the state Department of Environment and Science’s withdrawal of a notice requiring the coal miner to conduct an environmental evaluation of the Caley Valley Wetlands.
The notice was issued in September 2017 following the suspected release of contaminated water during Cyclone Debbie earlier in that year.
It would have required the company to self-monitor and report any negative impacts to the wetlands resulting from its activities.
The department will now begin its own monitoring program ahead of the upcoming wet season.
“Should monitoring show that work is required to make the Abbot Point coal terminal more environmentally robust, (we) will take steps to engage with the facility’s operators to do this,” the department said in a statement.
The wetlands, which are adjacent to the port, are the habitat for up to 48,000 birds during peak times, including threatened species, such as the Australian painted snipe.
Abbot Point Bulkcoal chief executive Dwayne Freeman said the decision was evidence the company had caused no environmental harm during the cyclone.
“It is disappointing that anti-mining activists continue to use misleading satellite images of the wetlands to attempt to damage our reputation,” he said.