The Queensland government has signed off on Adani’s black-throated finch management plan, one of two state approvals the company needs to begin preparatory construction for its Adani coalmine.
Queensland’s coordinator general published the decision on Friday morning.
In a statement, Queensland’s department of environment and science said Adani had submitted an updated version of the finch plan three days ago, on 28 May, which included new commitments after they were requested by the department.
It follows weeks of pressure on the state Labor government, and swings to the Liberal National party in Queensland at the federal election.
That result has, in part, been attributed to anger in regional seats over environmental campaigns against Adani’s project and Labor’s failure to articulate a clear position on the development.
Last week the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, demanded a speedy resolution to the state’s assessments of the development, setting a three week deadline for two environmental approvals, one of which was the finch plan.
Adani now has one outstanding state approval – for its groundwater plan – before it can start preliminary work, such as land clearing and road access development at its mine site.
But it still requires other federal environmental approvals before it can begin extracting coal. Other aspects of the project, such as a royalties agreement, are also yet to be finalised.
Lucas Dow, the chief executive of Adani Mining, said on Friday approval of the finch plan was an “important step” and the company was now “dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s in terms of agreements with contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, local councils and so forth”.
“We’re undertaking that work so once we’ve got the final approvals, we’ll be in a position to start work within weeks,” he said.
He said the finch plan had been subject to “rigorous scientific evaluation”.
“Obviously, we incorporated a number of requirements the department asked of us,” he said.
“Whilst on a number of those we didn’t necessarily believe they were required as part of meeting our conditions and obligations, in the interests of getting the plan concluded and approved we’ve incorporated those and subsequently the department has approved the plan”.
The mine site is the habitat for the most significant known remaining population of the black-throated finch, a species that is listed as endangered both nationally and in Queensland.
Scientists have questioned Adani’s offset plan for the bird, which proposes conserving vegetation for the species on land next to the Carmichael site.
But the area proposed has few observed finch populations, unlike the mine site, which has several.
“They currently don’t exist there and they don’t currently occupy that habitat,” said Brendan Wintle, a professor of conservation ecology at Melbourne University.
Wintle led a review by scientists of Adani’s finch management plan that was commissioned by the Queensland government.
“They need particular grass species to feed. There doesn’t appear to be the appropriate grasses on the site.
“It’s the wrong ecology. They’ve had the opportunity to breed there for 10,000 years and they haven’t. This project will significantly increase the risk of extinction for the finch.”
Dow was asked on Friday how it thought it could get the birds to move to the area it had designated.
“One of the key things with the bird is its prevalence around water source. So there’s ways to manage that. Importantly we’ll do that under the expertise of ecologists and experts in these activities,” he said.
The approval has been announced three days after Adani submitted the most recent version of the plan to the environment and science department.
A spokesman said: “Assessment of this plan has been a rigorous process, informed by the best available science”.
“DES has met regularly with Adani to ensure that the plan is robust and is well-placed to deliver the best outcomes for the protection of the black-throated finch.”
The spokesman said Adani had committed to increasing its understanding of black-throated finch populations in the project area and to undertaking appropriate population studies.
He said the company had agreed to establish monitoring protocols for tracking finch populations over the time and to manage the ten mile bore area and surrounds, an area of known habitat, “in a manner that protects the black-throated finch, including a commitment to a low-grazing regime in that area”.
“DES is also satisfied that Adani will engage appropriately qualified ecologists to undertake the company’s survey and monitoring work in relation to the black-throated finch,” he said.
The Australian Conservation Foundation said approval of the plan could send the species into extinction, given the significance of the habitat on the Carmichael site.
“The black-throated finch has already lost 88% of its historical range and recent analysis shows six of the coal mines planned for the Galilee Basin would completely clear nearly 35,000 hectares of the finch’s best remaining habitat,” campaigner Christian Slattery said.
“The black-throated finch is already endangered and this decision by the Queensland government – which comes after months of pressure … by Adani and the mining lobby – may have sealed its fate.”
The Mackay Conservation Group said the approval had been rushed.
“Nothing in the finch management plan presented today by Adani has changed or improved since its last rejection on the second of May,” community organiser Michael Kane said.
