'Insufficient': Queensland government savages reef deal

The Queensland government has lashed an “unprecedented” decision by the Commonwealth to award $444 million in Great Barrier Reef funding to a private organisation, saying it was blindsided by the announcement and the money will not save the reef unless climate change is also curbed.

Fish swim among bleached coral in the Great Barrier Reef.

Fairfax Media has also confirmed the Great Barrier Reef Foundation will pocket a slice of the record funding, triggering claims the Turnbull government is wasting money that should be spent saving the ailing natural wonder.

But the foundation says its share of the millions will be capped to maximise the amount spent on the reef.

Read the story by Nicole Hasham from The Age -  “'Insufficient': Queensland government savages reef deal.”

Labor pushes for federal investigation into Adani

Labor is pressing the Turnbull government for a federal investigation into Adani, arguing the Commonwealth has responsibility for sensitive wetlands contaminated near the Great Barrier Reef after Cyclone Debbie.

Opposition says commonwealth has responsibility
 for sensitive wetlands contaminated near Great Barrier Reef

Guardian Australia revealed last week concerns that Adani submitted an altered laboratory report while appealing a fine for contamination of the Caley Valley wetlands on the Queensland coast.

The wetlands were blackened by coal-laden water released from the Abbot Point port after Cyclone Debbie’s torrential rains inundated its coal storage facilities in March 2017.

Read Katharine Murphy’s story from The Guardian - “Labor pushes for federal investigation into Adani.”

Palaszczuk says she will veto federal Adani loan as she accuses LNP of ‘smear’

The Queensland government will veto Adani’s application for a $1bn commonwealth loan to build a rail line for its massive Carmichael mine, Annastacia Palaszczuk has said.

Annastacia Palaszczuk, campaigning with deputy premier
 Jackie Trad on Friday. The Queensland premier has accused
the LNP of intending to smear her.

Palaszczuk said the dramatic move, amid her campaign for re-election, came in response to what she believed was a federal Coalition plan to “smear” her and her partner, Shaun Drabsch, over his role in Adani’s loan application to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (Naif).

As the government is in caretaker mode, any move to veto the loan would need bipartisan support.

The move will be a heavy blow to the Indian mining giant’s attempt to win finance in China for the controversial coalmine, but puts the state Labor government on the right side of opinion polls on the issue.

Read the story by Joshua Robertson on The Guardian - “Palaszczuk says she will veto federal Adani loan as she accuses LNP of ‘smear’."