A dispute has erupted between mining giant Adani and a town that once welcomed it. 

The Carmichael mine in north Queensland, once a beacon of economic hope for Clermont locals, has become the centrepiece of a legal tussle.

Issues have emerged with Adani’s planned employment practices, specifically the right to exclude locals from its workforce, and has caught the attention of both supporters and critics.

When Adani secured the final nod for its coal mine in 2019, Clermont's residents celebrated, seeing it as a lifeline for the community. 

However, the joy appears short-lived. Queensland law prohibits companies from having a fully fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workforce if a “nearby regional community” is within 125 kilometres. This law aims to ensure local employment.

Kerry Smeltzer, Queensland’s assistant coordinator general, recently expanded the “nearby regional community” area to include Clermont, thereby applying these provisions to the Carmichael project.

Adani has described the decision as an “improper exercise of power”, and sought judicial review, claiming to already employ Clermont locals and engage local businesses as suppliers. 

This move sparked a dispute that seemed to resolve in March when the Queensland government, citing an “administrative error”, retracted its decision, though this has not put an end to the contention.

The company insists on its contribution to the Clermont community, saying that providing employment and contracting opportunities for Clermont “will remain an everyday part of our business”.

But Ellen Roberts, the national coordinator of anti-fossil-fuel group Lock the Gate, says that “unfortunately, it seems the Queensland government is continuing the legacy of governments doing all they can to appease Adani by backflipping so quickly on what was a sensible direction.”

Australia's High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, recently met with Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani. They reportedly discussed not only the conglomerate’s investments in Australia but also future collaboration on renewables and critical minerals, hinting at broader economic ties beyond the Carmichael mine.