Issues over eco clearance on Australia project sorted out, says GVK Ind

VINSON KURIAN, THE HINDU BUSINESS LINE

Final approval likely next month

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 24:
The outstanding issues pertaining to grant of environmental clearances for GVK Industries’ coal mine project in Queensland, Australia, have been sorted out.

“We expect the final approval to come sometime next month,” Mr G.V. Sanjay Reddy, Vice-Chairman, GVK Industries, told Business Line here.

FIRST ON LIST

“The Queensland state government had identified a few projects, and ours was the first on its priority list since it was the most advanced,” he said.

The state government issued its environmental clearance on May 28 – this itself was a major milestone, since it was also the most difficult to get in Australia.

Unfortunately, the federal government found fault with the clearance process and said that the state government didn’t do a good job of it.

It was here that the federal environmental minister, Mr Tony Burke, came into the picture and remarked: “I’m putting a stop on the clock”.

“Actually, he didn’t say he was putting a stop on the project. He merely meant that he did not want to get involved anymore with the Queensland government. Instead he would deal directly with the company. That’s what he meant and that’s what he did also,” Mr Reddy said.

But his statement was misinterpreted to give out the impression that the federal government wanted to put a stop on the project itself, he said.

In any case, the deputy premier of the state government and the federal environment minister had a meeting in Sydney.

They sorted out the issue last Thursday (June 14), saying that “we’ve sorted it out and are going ahead”.

CLARIFICATION SOUGHT

“Also, I had a talk with Mr Burke who said it was all a communication problem,” Mr Reddy said.

Mr Burke also said he would issue a statement giving an update on the project and also the federal government’s commitment to giving the approval.

So the next day, he came out with that statement; but he also said that there were four additional areas that the government needed information on.

“By Monday, we submitted all the information to the federal government,” Mr Reddy said.