MELBOURNE: Adani Group's Australian division, Bravus Mining, has paid a fine of 26,000 Australian dollars for "misinterpreting" environmental approval conditions at its Carmichael Coal mine in central Queensland.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment issued an official statement on Tuesday, stating that it had fined the mining company and issued two infringement notices in October this year for not meeting a condition attached to their approval received under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
"The company failed to meet the requirements of condition 7 of the approval which requires them to implement the approved Species Management Plan. The department found that Adani Mining Pvt Ltd failed to implement the Species Management Plan by not undertaking pre-clearance surveys within the required timeframe prior to clearing," it said.
The department further said it found the company not complying with the requirements to revise the management measures within the Species Management Plan as a result of pre-clearance surveys.
"The department takes non-compliance with approval conditions seriously. This penalty serves as a reminder that approval holders must comply with their approval conditions," it said.
A Bravus Mining spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed that the company paid the fine.
"Two minor compliance issues were raised by the (agriculture) department in relation to a pre-clearance survey which had expired by 24 days, and an updated species management plan not being submitted within the three-month window required, following a pre-clearance survey," the spokesperson said.
"The compliance issues were a consequence of misinterpreting project condition reporting requirements.
"Bravus management has since provided additional internal training to ensure our understanding of the conditions aligns with the expectations of the Department," the spokesperson said.
"Although other mining and construction companies may not make public statements regarding environmental notifications, we recognise the level of public interest in the Carmichael Project holds us to a higher standard, and we therefore place significant importance on transparent communications around our activities onsite," it noted.
The Indian energy giant last month changed the name of its Australian division to Bravus Mining and Resources, following controversy over its Carmichael mine.