Council takes legal action over Carmichael mine road works

Isaac Regional Council is taking Adani Mining to court over a 96km stretch of road into the Carmichael coal operations. The council filed proceedings in the Supreme Court Registry this week, saying the action followed four years of working with the mining company over requirements for the Elgin Rd and Moray Carmichael Boundary Rd. A spokesman for Adani's Bravus Mining and Resources said the company was disappointed Isaac Regional Council had chosen to begin a civil legal dispute in the Supreme Court instead of allowing the it to complete the works in accordance with the agreement in place. He said the miner had already spent more than $120 million in maintaining and upgrading the roads, known as Mine Access Road. “This legal dispute means more delays and uncertainty for our neighbours who use the road. This is also frustrating for our civil road contractors and their employees who are ready to keep working on the road upgrades," he said. “All parties agreed to a Mine Access Road design in 2019 that we maintain is fit-for-purpose for heavy vehicles and mine traffic and includes appropriate safety features such as extra road widenings on bends and pull-over bays to make sure road users are as safe as possible. “Isaac Regional Council has since demanded a completely flood-proof road. Now they want a wider road built to a standard above other council-owned roads in the region. “We cannot legally work on the Mine Access Road without permits from council, which have been withheld. Construction work on one of the bridge structures in July. “Where council has authorised works on things like the bridge structures over the waterways along the Mine Access Road, we have been quick to get in and build them as per the agreement. “We’re exceptionally proud of the thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in contracts and economic stimulus the Carmichael mine generates for local communities, including those in the Isaac Region.“We’re committed to providing a safe road for all road users. “Despite this civil legal dispute, the Mine Access Road in its current condition is safe and remains open to all traffic. Day-to-day operations at the Carmichael mine in central Queensland also continue as normal.” An Isaac Regional Council spokeswoman would not comment on the specifics of its complaint while the matter was before the court. In a written statement confirming the legal action, the council pointed to the importance of the road as a vital connection for rural residents, as well as suppliers and workers. "Adani Mining together with Carmichael Rail signed an Infrastructure Access Agreement with council in 2019 that requires the companies to address their operational impacts on local government roads and waste management facilities," it stated. "At the request of Adani Mining in 2021, Council accepted their amended construction timetable which outlined a revised road works completion date from 1 December 2022 to 31 March 2023. "Council is determined to ensure mining companies uphold their commitments to ratepayers and social sustainability to communities of the Isaac region. Council considers safety as paramount and is insistent that the road be constructed to enable safe travel."

Council takes legal action over Carmichael mine road works

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