The long-awaited final approval of Adani’s controversial mega coal mine has been cautiously welcomed by north Queensland stakeholders.

June 13, 2019

Regional stakeholders in north Queensland want Adani to deliver quickly on its jobs and other promises as construction begins at the coal mine that’s divided communities.

Townsville mayor Jenny Hill says much-needed job opportunities will flow as Adani ramps up construction after a final state approval from the environment department.

“I’m hearing in the community already there’s a feeling of confidence we’re turning a corner,” she said on Thursday.

Adani has promised to deliver 1,500 direct and 6,750 indirect jobs during ramp up and construction. 

It hopes to be extracting coal in two years.

“I think we’ve got the skill base here in terms of the construction and eventual operation of the mine,” Ms Hill told reporters.

“There is (also) now the opportunity for a lot of local business in Townsville, Rockhampton and everywhere in between.”

Ms Hill says the Carmichael project could lead to six more mines opening in the Galilee Basin and growth of up to 7000 more jobs.

That confidence didn’t extend south to Gladstone, where local Labor MP Glenn Butcher was worried there may not be enough jobs to go around.

“Now that the jobs forecast has dropped right down, are there still jobs available for people in my electorate?” he asked.

“We have a very mobile workforce but are we going to be shunned because we live in Gladstone?”

Closer to the proposed mine, farmers and graziers were accepting the inevitable but asking for assurances that essential groundwater supplies will be protected and conditions strictly enforced.

“Queensland farmers and graziers are utterly dependent on groundwater, particularly during times of drought,” Farmers for Climate Action chief Verity Morgan-Schmidt said in a statement.