MPs: Grant Adani mining lease so work can begin

FEBRUARY 3, 2016: I joined several of my Queensland colleagues at Parliament House today in a joint call for the Queensland Labor Government to issue a mining lease for the Carmichael Mine, now that an environmental authority has been issued.Doing so would allow Adani to get started on the massive job-creating project which has been 10 years in the making.The development of the Carmichael Mine is an absolute no brainer.We have the clean low-ash coal which produces lower emissions, and therefore a better environmental outcome, and this is a project which will create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs across its mine, rail and port projects.There is no legal impediment to the Queensland Labor Government granting this mining lease and we are calling on the Queensland Mines Minister Anthony Lynham to get on with it now that the environmental authority has been issued.Why wait any longer?The people of Central and North Queensland are hungry for the jobs and economic boost this project will provide and Mr Lynham, you have the ability to make that happen.I joined MPs Michelle Landry (Capricornia), Bruce Scott (Maranoa) and Ewen Jones (Herbert), as well as Queensland Senators Matt Canavan (Rockhampton), and Ian Macdonald (Townsville) in making the joint call.