ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has announced she wants Adani, the co-ordinator-general and the environment department to meet tomorrow to come up with a time frame to resolve the Carmichael Mine’s final environmental approvals.
“I am expecting a definitive time frame by Friday,” she said.
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She said she wanted the time frame agreed to by Friday, acknowledging the Queensland public was “fed-up”.
The mine has been blamed for a drubbing for Federal Labor in regional Queensland at the weekend.
I sense the frustration of the community. I am frustrated. I think everyone has had a gutful quite frankly,” Ms Palaszczuk, who travelled to Mackay this morning amid a regional MP rebellion, said.
The Premier has been under growing internal pressure to resolve Adani since the weekend’s loss.
She described the Federal Election was a wake-up call.
“Very clearly enough is enough. This needs to be sorted out.”
JACKIE TRAD CONSULTED ON PREMIER’S CALL FOR ADANI INTERVENTION
THE PREMIER’S decision to call for the co-ordinator-general’s intervention in the Adani mine was made in full consultation with her deputy Jackie Trad.
Her statement is a major about face for the Government. It comes just days after the she and Ms Trad insisted there was nothing unusual with the approvals process for the Galilee Basin mine.
Ms Palaszczuk said she believed the co-ordinator-general was the best person to intervene and resolve the Adani approvals mess.
The co-ordinator general has wide-ranging powers. The co-ordinator general has the authority to resolve matters and that is why I have taken this step,” she said.
The Premier also used the press conference to apologise for Federal Labor and pledge to represent regional Queensland in a pitch aimed at both appeasing her angry regional MPs and angry voters,
“I am really sorry that Labor let you down. I am really sorry that happened.
“I value the work that you do, every single day you work in a whole variety of industries.
“And I know that you want the best for your family. I want the best for your family as well.
“I represent a very working class electorate. I grew up knowing how important it was.
“At the end of the day it’s about putting food on the table and making sure that your children can aspire to be whatever they want to be.
“And that if your family goes to hospital or someone gets sick, that we are providing the health services for your family right across this state.
“We are up to this challenge. We work every day focusing on jobs.”
MATT CANAVAN SAYS THE PREMIER IS SAYING ‘NOTHING MUCH’
RESOURCES Minister Matt Canavan has responded by saying the Premier’s announcement in Mackay today was “pythonesque”.
Mr Canavan said north and central Queensland wanted action not talk.
If the Premier says today she’s fed up with the lack of progress on Adani the Premier needs to answer how long has she been fed up with her own Government and why hasn’t she done something about it before today,” he said.
“What she is saying today is not very much at all. What she’s saying is she wants to have a meeting. The Premier has announced today that the solution to jobs in north and central Queensland is to have a meeting. This is something that is out of the Life of Brian, this is something that is pythonesque. It’s beyond a farce now.”
Mr Canavan said he had been drafted in at the last minute to speak at the Austmine Conference in Brisbane after Ms Palaszczuk and senior ministers scattered across regional Queensland today to show their presence in areas that swung heavily to the LNP in last Saturday’s federal election.
Mr Canavan said he was happy to plug the hole in the schedule but questioned why the Government would snub the mining industry.
“I got the call yesterday afternoon that some State Government ministers had pulled out (of the conference) and I thought well I’m free I’ll come down and fill the gap,” he said.
I’m a bit surprised the State Government’s not here because I’ve been seeing full page ads from them in all the daily newspapers the last few weeks saying how much they’re doing for the resources sector. I would have thought they could have spoken for hours here today on all the wonderful things they’re doing for your industry and the jobs they’re creating but anyway I’m happy to fill in.”
A State Government spokeswoman said the scheduled government representatives would be supporting the resources industry in regional Queensland “where the majority of resources jobs are”.
“(They) will attend the AustMine dinner on Wednesday evening,” she said.
Mr Canavan, who is still resources minister under caretaker arrangements, said he would not stop fighting until “common sense” was returned to State Government mining approvals process.
“From my perspective, for what I’m fighting for, what the people are fighting for, we haven’t won yet,” he said.
“We haven’t won because I’m not going to stop until we get some common sense back into the State Government here about approving projects.
“I’m not going to stop until at the very least we get this Adani mine approved and it’s got to happen now, the people have spoken.”
ADANI CEO: ‘THIS IS ANOTHER DELAYING TACTIC’
ADANI CEO Lucas Dow says he will meet with the co-ordinator-general but if the environmental management plans are not finalised within two weeks he believed the Premier’s about face was “just another delaying tactic”.
“We have been asking for clarity of process and timing from the Queensland Labor Government in relation to the approvals of our outstanding management plans for more than seven months now,” he said in a statement.
We are looking forward to receiving a call from the Co-ordinator General so we can meet first thing tomorrow morning, and at that meeting I will be seeking the timeline for approving the two outstanding management plans come to a conclusion within the next two weeks.
“Any time frame for a decision on these outstanding management plans longer than the next two weeks is nothing more than another delaying tactic by the Queensland Labor Government designed to delay thousands of jobs for regional Queenslanders.
“The Queensland Labor Government has been reviewing these management plans for over two years now.
“We have been put through the highest level of scrutiny on these plans, and overcome every hurdle along the way and these plans have been approved at the Federal level already.
“We know Queenslanders want the Carmichael Project up and running and my commitment to them is that we will do everything we can to get this finalised as soon as possible.
“It’s time for the Queensland Labor Government to stop the political games. Stop shifting the goalposts and let us get on with delivering these jobs for regional Queenslanders.
“It is time to get the Carmichael Project done.”