A fight to stop the development of Australia’s largest coal mine is coming to a Bendigo Westpac branch.
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Protesters plan to gather this Friday at Westpac’s Mitchell Street branch after the bank refused to rule out funding Adani’s mega mine project or associated infrastructure.
The mine would be built in Carmichael, Queensland and have six open cut pits and several underground mines.
Coal would be processed offshore then shipped to India.
Central Victorian Climate Action’s Bernard Tonkin said the bank needed to be clear about its intentions.
“The other big four banks have given some indication that they would not fund it. Westpac has been repeatedly asked to rule it out and have not.”
“By funding the mine they could be paving the way for a huge complex of coal deposits to be opened up in Queensland.”
Mr Tonkin said Westpac was yet to catch up with organisations like the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank or Bank Australia, which opposed investing in fossil fuel projects.
The protesters were concerned about the environmental impact of Carmichael’s coal on global warming, with Mr Tonkin saying the mine would be the biggest in the southern hemisphere.
They feared the mine would fuel a shipping and ports expansion that could place the Great Barrier Reef at further risk from damage.
“Westpac claim to be the sustainable bank but Adani would be catastrophic. At this very moment in history we could close down coal and replace it with renewables,” Mr Tonkin said.
When asked why protesters chose Bendigo for a #stopadani protest, Mr Tonkin said the bank had branches across the country and a Mitchell Street protest would allow local customers to voice concerns.
A Westpac spokesperson said the bank took its sustainability position very seriously.
“We will not provide finance to companies or projects that do not comply with our rigorous sustainability and environmental controls,” she said.
“However, it is Westpac’s long standing policy not to comment on matters relating to specific companies or projects.”
The protesters hoped to present the bank with a school physics text book outlining the science behind climate change.
They also planned to present Bendigo branch staff with a cake to show that their fight is with the company, not its employees.
The protest is scheduled for 12.30pm on Friday at Westpac’s Mitchell Street branch.