Indigenous land holders are mounting a challenge to Australia's largest coal project and are calling on Queensland's Labor government to refuse a mining lease to the Indian company developing it.
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In a battle shaping up as a major test of Australia's native title laws, the Wangan and Jagalingou people have rejected an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with Adani, which plans to build the massive Carmichael coal mine in central Queensland.
Adani has now launched legal action in the Native Title Tribunal to try to enable the Queensland government to compulsorily acquire the land and push the mine ahead.
The traditional owners against the development are opposing it because they believe the project will "devastate their ancestral lands and waters, totemic animals and plants, and cultural heritage".
But Adani is challenging the group's spokesman Adrian Burragubba, claiming he is not authorised to speak on behalf to the Wangan and Jagalingou people (W&J).
"Following comprehensive and ongoing discussions and negotiations with the W&J, Adani does not believe that the W&J 'don't want this mine' as the W&J have been and continue to be actively involved in negotiations around delivery of the mine on terms acceptable to the W&J," an Adani spokesman said.
"In addition to the native title processes, Adani respects the W&J's cultural heritage and can confirm it has been working closely with the W&J since 6 September 2011 under a cultural heritage management plan agreed with the W&J."
But Mr Burragubba has dismissed Adani's comments and said on Thursday he was the authorised spokesman for Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners Family Representative Council, which is made up of traditional owners who oppose the mine.
He said most of the Wangan and Jagalingou people were against the development.
"We're calling on the Queensland government to take this opportunity to right the wrongs of the previous LNP government and rule out using that legal action to take away our land," Mr Burragubba said.
"We're also asking the new premier to refuse Adani's lease for the Carmichael mine."
Mr Burragubba said land holders had voted down the Indigenous Land Use Agreement in 2014.
"We're concerned about the impact this mine will have on our cultural heritage, our laws and customs, and our way of life," he said.
"It will damage the environment beyond repair. This is the concern of all Australians."
Adani has faced a massive campaign by environment groups concerned about the mine's impact on the climate, groundwater and the Great Barrier Reef because of the proximity of coal terminals at Abbott Point to the Australian icon.
Adani is facing multiple legal challenges to its development but is fighting claims by environment groups that the environmental assessment process was inadequate.
"The approvals process for the mine at Carmichael was the most stringent that has applied to a single site in the history of the Commonwealth's environmental approvals regime," the company said this month.
Adani's spokesman said on Thursday Adani was continuing "to negotiate with the W&J's authorised representatives and would prefer a negotiated outcome that recognises all parties' interests".
