Adani mine gets traditional owner approval

Traditional land owners have voted in favour of allowing a coal mine to be opened by Adani in central Queensland, but some from the indigenous group have labelled the vote a sham.

More than 300 people attended the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) meeting on Saturday where Adani said members "voted overwhelmingly" to authorise an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the miners for the construction and operation of the Carmichael mine, west of Mackay.

"The company has worked positively and constructively with elected leaders within W&J over several years to ensure that the company's mine at Carmichael not only proceeds, but proceeds with the benefits of the mine being realised by traditional owners at every stage of the project," the mining company said in a statement.

But there are competing interests in the W&J claim group, which acts similarly to an electorate made up of 12 families, which have complicated the company's ability to secure an ILUA.

Despite Adani claims the vote was properly convened and independently chaired in accordance with statutory process, the anti-Adani group, Wangan & Jagalingou Family Council, has released a statement describing it as a "sham meeting which has engineered a sham outcome".

Spokesman Adrian Burragubba said the council would challenge "Adani's phoney land use deal" in the Federal Court.

"Just last month the W&J claim group met of our own accord and said 'no' to Adani," he said.

"We made it clear that Saturday's meeting is not a legitimate meeting of the claim group and the resolution to approve Adani's deal is not legitimate either."

The council has also accused the Indian mining giant of bankrolling a "bogus" land use agreement.

An Adani spokesman has rejected reports the company made collective payments of more than $10,000 to seven pro-Adani W&J members or that there was a $550,000 offer on the table for traditional owners to authorise the ILUA.

"The only offer on the table with respect to the ILUA from Adani was the ILUA that the W&J overwhelmingly voted for (on Saturday) - a deal that will deliver intergenerational employment, business and education opportunities for the W&J," he said.

"Adani categorically rejects any assertion to the contrary."