Australian Conservation Foundation challenges Adani’s Carmichael coal mine in

The group contended that the project would damage the ecologically sensitive Great Barrier Reef and cited that as the reason for seeking its cancellation.

The Australian Conservation Foundation has applied to the Federal Court this morning to challenge the Commonwealth approval of Indian company Adani’s massive Carmichael Coal Mine, a $16.5 billion project proposed for Queensland’s Galilee Basin.

Those obligations were in relation to commitments made by Australia to UNESCO earlier in 2015, in order to retain the reef’s world heritage listing in the face of environmental threats, including those from coastal industrial development driven by the coal industry.

“This case is about whether the minister correctly applied the law when considering the impacts of the project on the Great Barrier Reef and endangered Black-throated finch”, said Sean Ryan, the principal EDO solicitor for the foundation.

The environmental group said on Monday the ruling failed to take into account the impact of climate pollution resulting from the burning of coal from the mine.

“Coral reef scientists are telling us in just a few decades warmer waters could bleach the Reef beyond recognition”, Cousins said. “This would be a tragedy for Australia and the world”. Attorney General George Brandis mounted a public campaign against environmentalists, and sought to restrict the community’s ability to challenge decisions of the Environment Minister to only those people “directly affected” by a project. The Queensland government has recently indicated it is considering legislation that will stop green groups from ongoing legal action to endlessly delay key projects.

Adani, which originally aimed to ship 40 million tonnes of coal a year in the mine’s first phase starting in late 2017, could not be reached for immediate comment.

“It is quite another to wait for previous challenges to fail, then launch new ones on different grounds over, and over again, seeking endless delay, and endlessly abusing the process”, he said.

While a push in India to rely more on solar and wind power and domestic sources of coal has raised questions over the viability of the project, Adani has said the majority of Carmichael production had been pre-sold, guaranteeing revenue.

The mine will cover an area seven times the size of Sydney Harbour.

“This is a matter of law… and it’s important the federal minister gets it right”, he said. “I think there is a strong moral case here”. Canavan said that Queensland families were being “held to ransom” by the ACF, which he accused of blocking growth and thousands of jobs in the state’s regional economy.