Opposition to public funding for Adani rail link outweighs support, poll finds

More Australians oppose the idea of funding infrastructure for the Carmichael coalmine than support it, although Queenslanders are more evenly split, a new poll has found. The Research Now poll commissioned by the Australia Institute, released on Tuesday, found that 41% opposed funding construction of infrastructure to help the Adani coalmine, compared with 26% who supported it and 33% who were undecided. But Queenslanders were 42% opposed to the infrastructure for Adani and 33% in support. Matt Canavan, the minister for northern Australia, confirmed on Monday that the federal government was considering lending $1bn for the construction of a 310km rail line from the proposed coalmine in the Galilee Basin to the port. The poll of 1,442 people asked how the $5bn Northern Australia infrastructure facility should be spent by asking them to vote for five priorities. Of the 11 options, the most popular were hospitals and health infrastructure (chosen by 75% of respondents), schools and universities (54%) and large-scale renewable energy projects (51%). Rail lines for coal trains (11%) and ports for coal export (7%) were the least popular options. When given a direct choice between the two, 75% of respondents opted for renewables and 11% picked infrastructure for coal companies, with 15% not sure. The Australia Institute is highly critical of the fund, noting in a statement it would pay for “infrastructure that is unable to attract commercial financing, which could include subsidising the controversial Adani Carmichael coalmine”. Respondents were sceptical of the benefits of investing in northern Australia, with 45% saying the region should not be singled out for funding compared with 35% who said it should. Just over a third (34%) said northern Australia was the biggest priority for infrastructure, and 41% disagreed. Ben Oquist, the Australia Institute executive director, said: “Australians do not want to see their funds misdirected towards uncommercial infrastructure for coal and gas companies. “That is money we can’t spend on things like public services where people live now, or in renewable energy,” he said. “Australian governments have spent billions of public money subsidising mining infrastructure, while critical urban infrastructure has struggled to cope with surging populations.” The poll found 47% of respondents thought that the southern parts of Australia needed at least as much infrastructure spending as northern Australia, while 32% felt the north needed more. “Australians are right to doubt $5bn is better spent developing the north or fixing critical infrastructure issues in their cities and towns,” Oquist said. News that the government was considering a $1bn loan to Adani for a rail line sparked a protest in Melbourne before an expected meeting in the city between Malcolm Turnbull and the head of the Indian mining company, Gautam Adani. The chief Nationals whip, George Christensen, gave strong backing for the idea, describing it on Facebook as a means to “open up jobs and economic opportunity far beyond” the Adani mine.