Today’s (June 13 2019) announcement that the Queensland Government has made the final approval before construction of the Carmichael mine can begin is an historic day for Queensland.
It has been more than 50 years since a new coal basin has opened in Queensland. so this development is of huge importance to the economic future of Queensland.
When the Bowen Basin opened in the 1960s, it transformed Central Queensland. Opening up a new basin in Galilee promises similar development and opportunity.
Now we need to work together at all levels of government to deliver this opportunity to all workers, small businesses, indigenous Australians and local communities.
This development also heralds a new chapter in the growing relationship between India and Australia. Stronger relations between India and Australia will come through commerce, not just cricket. Adani is the biggest commercial investment from an Indian company in Australia. Hopefully there will now be many more investments to come.
They say things come to those who wait but we should not have had to wait this long. The people of Queensland have had to do more than wait too. They have had to fight a heartless Queensland Government who has told them to “reskill” rather than develop jobs for our region.
The Queensland Government has only made this decision because they found out their own jobs were at risk after the federal election.
The Queensland Government must now help facilitate the other mines in the Galilee to get more jobs going before they can be trusted again by the Queensland people.
Source: Australian Government