Great Barrier Reef Pitted Against Coal Jobs in Australia Vote

(ABC, Sydney, 22 November 2017) As the world grapples with the fossil fuel’s role in the future energy mix, Indian bilionaire Guatam Adani's proposed Carmichael coal mine became a defining issue in Australia's Queensland election. An unnamed Adani Mining director was quoted as saying the company is close to securing a deal with Chinese enterprises and export credit agencies to fund both the mine and the rail link, and that Adani wouldn’t need a loan of up to $1 billion from the federal Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) for the rail line. A formal announcement about the financing deal is said to be imminent, but the ABC reports that reliance on funds from Chinese enterprises and export credit agencies could cost Australia jobs associated with the project. Such Chinese interests invariably require that materials for key infrastructure are sourced from China and that effective shifts work out of Australia. Coal and the impact of climate change on Australia's Great Barrier Reef were an issue in the election.

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