Adani's plan to deliver $250 mn benefits to traditional owners

India's mining giant Adani Group has launched an Indigenous Participation Plan (IPP) that could deliver benefits worth 250 million dollars over the next 30 years to the traditional owners who are opposing the company's 16.5 billion dollar project in Australia's Queensland state.

"Implementation of Adani's IPP will result in a direct benefit of at least 250 million dollars in business development, jobs and training opportunities to traditional owner groups spanning Adani's operations over the half-life of the company's projects (30 years)," Adani Australia said.

The launch was attended by representatives of traditional groups that concluded Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) with Adani that governed the company's use of the land.

"They (agreements) provide for training, education, and business development opportunities in all facets of the company's operations in Australia," it said in a statement.

"Adani's enduring partnership with traditional owners is key to the company's plan to build a long-term future in Queensland. It is, and will always be, a central focus of Adani to work with traditional owner groups to deliver tangible, lasting benefits from employment and training to business development and environmental and cultural heritage management over the life of our projects," Adani Australia Chief Operating Officer Samir Vora said.

Adani said after meetings with two Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) native title applicants, Patrick Malone and Irene White, on their demand of further concessions on key environmental and cultural heritage management issues that members of the community had raised with them as a priority, the firm has agreed a 30,000 hectare offset protection area for the mine site to the W&J.

Under this agreement, W&J will manage improvements and implementation of offset areas for the Black Throated Finch, as well as water quality and ecological monitoring of the Carmichael River.

"We are committed to working together to achieve positive employment, training and business development outcomes that will be of benefit to our people," the company quoted White as saying.

Colin McLennan, Chair of Bulganunna Aboriginal Corporation Registered (Jangga) Native Title Body Corporate, said, "Our agreement with Adani provides our people with hope for the future, the opportunity to change their lives for their benefit and the benefit of their families."
A W&J member, Adrian Burragubba, yesterday reiterated his stance on stopping the mine after his meetings with global banks - Standard Chartered, Goldman Sachs, Citibank, Bank of America and the US ExIm Bank - for supporting their call against financing Adani's USD 16.5 billion coal mine project.

W&J traditional owners and spokesperson Murrawah Johnson said, "We held positive, good faith meetings with Goldman Sachs, Citibank, Bank of America and the US ExIm Bank".

"With the exception of Credit Suisse, the banks we have met have all agreed to respond to our concerns in writing and appreciated that financing the Carmichael mine could lead to a violation of the W&J's human rights," he said.