Australian state leader intervenes to approve coal mine

An Australian state government leader has intervened to fast-track a proposed coal mine days after voters rejected tougher action to curb greenhouse gas emissions in a federal election.

The Carmichael mine proposed by India’s Adani Mining in Queensland state was a bitterly polarizing issue ahead of weekend elections that returned the conservative coalition government for a third three-year term.

Queensland’s Labor Party Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Wednesday that she wanted a time frame agreed to by Friday to deal with the two environmental hurdles that are holding up the mine.

Saturday’s federal election result defied opinion polls that suggested the center-left Labor Party would win government and implement its policies of slashing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030.