13/09/2019

A group of 15 people have this morning delayed work on the Haughton River Floodplain upgrade on the Bruce Highway, demanding contractor BMD cut ties with Adani’s controversial Carmichael mine.

The group blocked access to workers entering the site just south of Townsville at 6am this morning, following the announcement this week that BMD had confirmed its contract on the Adani’s rail line.

Spokesperson Andrea Valenzuela said “BMD seems to expect community resistance, given the news of an internal company email detailing responses to questions staff might be asked about their involvement with Adani. They are right to expect that, because no company has a right to profit from a climate emergency. Every climate crime has global repercussions, but only a select few will be reaping the so-called ‘benefits’.

On its website, BMD describes itself as “one of the largest privately owned construction and urban development contractors in Australia.” Its corporate video boasts “our goal for each project is to leave a minimum impact on the environment”.

Ms Valenzuela said “BMD have shown their claims to environmental credibility to be nothing more than hot air. They say this project will generate jobs, but in the face of the climate crisis, work that openly rejects scientific warnings about the effects of more coal mines is not constructive. Work that compromises existing industries, undermining jobs in agriculture and with the Great Barrier Reef, is not true development. BMD’s business model is the destruction of our climate.

“BMD’s slogan is ‘we see things differently’. We urge them to look at our planet and see more than just dollar signs. If they can’t do that, actions like this will continue because life on this planet is too precious to be sold to the highest bidder.”