Queensland Resources Council acting CEO Greg Lane said the announcement of another appeal lodged by an Indigenous group adds yet another delay to the project that regional Queenslanders are relying on after the massive downturn in the resources sector.

“We could almost hear an audible groan from regional Queenslanders today when they heard that Adani is facing yet another legal roadblock after already having been the subject of multiple legal actions,” he said.

“Even the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dr Anthony Lynham has said, ‘everyone deserves their day in court, but not four years in court’, and even he conceded after the Adani decision that the project was likely to face further legal hurdles.”

Anti-coal groups were already calling for donations to fund an appeal well before they had calculated on what legal grounds they could do so, according to Lane.

“Therefore, it comes as no surprise to us that within a week an appeal is being lodged,” he said.

“The QRC once again calls on the Palaszczuk Government to urgently overhaul the approvals system so that resource projects are not subject to onerous delays that are holding up job-creating projects for Queensland.”