Adani's coal mining project in Australia may hinge on court
(Business Standard, New Delhi, 9 August 2018) For the Ahmedabad-headquartered Adani group, the fate of its ambitious coal mine-to-rail project in Australia could hinge on a court case filed by native owners of the land in question, near the Carmichael mine in the province of Queensland. Environment groups and others in opposition have alleged the current ruling party in Australia has helped Adani in getting regulations and clearances for the project, including possible EFIC support. Adani had signed a land agreement with the local authorities now being contested in court by native Wangan and Jagalingou land claimants. Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners in the area did not consent to the Carmichael mine. Since 2012, their claim is that group meetings rejected a Land Use Agreement with Adani four times, the latest in December 2017. Five members of the W&J Native Title filed case in the high court on behalf of the claim group in August 2017. Sources said Adani had not been able to tie up any financing for the coal project. Jeyakumar Janakraj, chief executive and country head, Adani Group Australia, told this publication last year that the company was in talks with leading global financers and export credit funds from China and Korea in this regard.