‘We welcome Adani’s investment’: Australian trade and tourism minister Don Farrell

“I have seen public reports that none of the problems that Adani have got will impact their Australian investments, and I just hope that those reports are correct,” Farrell said.

“We welcome Indian investment. We welcome Adani’s investment. They are creating jobs in Australia. They are good corporate citizens. And they are part of that process of lifting the living standards of people in India and we support that,” Farrell said.

The Adani group has a significant presence in Australia in the energy, mining and port sectors. The group owns and operates a port in Queensland in the northeastern part of Australia. Its showpiece project, one that has also faced a lot of criticism on environmental grounds, is the Carmichael coal mine and road project, also in Queensland. It also has solar power projects in Australia.

Farrell said Australia’s current focus on developing critical minerals was unlikely to affect the coal mining operations in the near term.

“Coal is not going anywhere soon. Coal would continue to provide power to India and many other countries in the foreseeable future. But we do have to make the transition (from fossil fuel-based sources of energy like coal to renewable energy which, in current situation, also requires support from batteries) at some point. The trick here is to ensure that you continue to invest in conventional sources like coal and gas until you are in a position to make a successful transition to renewables,” Farrell said.

“I don’t think there is anything to be concerned about the investments by Indian companies in, say, the Carmichael development. We are committed to making the transition (to renewables) and at some point obviously there is going to be a phasing out of fossil fuels and a ramp-up of clean energy. But that is not about to happen anytime soon. And we will continue to support gas and coal developments in Australia in the near term,” he said.