Traditional owners have faced another legal setback in their quest to block Indian giant Adani's proposed megamine in central Queensland.
A small group of Wangan and Jagalingou people, who have a native title claim over the proposed site of the coal mine in the Galilee basin, on Tuesday lost an appeal against a Brisbane Supreme Court ruling that the granting of leases in the area were lawful.
Lawyers for the group argued in the Queensland Court of Appeal in May that issuing the leases to Adani was unlawful because they had not been given adequate opportunity to address the state government on native title issues relating to the proposed Carmichael site.
But Adani and the Queensland government argued the traditional owners had never made a proper objection to the mine under the terms set out by the Mineral Resources Act 1989.
On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal dismissed the matter, ruling the traditional owners failed to prove that they were denied natural justice.
This is the latest in a string of failed legal challenges in various courts from these traditional owners against the $16 billion coal mine, set to be the biggest in the southern hemisphere.
The controversial project has drawn the ire of green groups, who say it will be catastrophically damaging to the environment, while economists have branded investment in it risky because of the uncertainty of coal prices.
However, Adani issued a statement following the court ruling saying the project would have vast financial benefits for those Wangan and Jagalingou people who support the Indigenous Land Use Agreement with Adani.
"The most likely people to be harmed now by further law fare ... is not the project, which has considerable momentum, but the right of the majority group to realise a benefit," the statement read.
Queensland Resources Council boss Ian Macfarlane also welcomed the court ruling.
"For every year, the Adani Carmichael coal mine project is delayed, Queensland misses out on $185 million in royalties, which would pay for 2900 extra nurses or 3350 extra police officers or 3400 extra teachers," he said.
Meanwhile, members from the Stop Adani group held a sit-in at the mining company's Townsville office on Tuesday to protest against the mine, with one arrested and charged for refusing to move on.
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