CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia said on Tuesday it would delay environmental approval for a A$10 billion ($9.72 billion) coal project proposed by India's GVK Power & Infrastructure, a potential setback in the company's bid to tap voracious appetite for coal in its home market.
Environment Minister Tony Burke said GVK, a conglomerate with interests in airports, hotels and transportation as well as energy, must work with national authorities to secure approval for the project, vital to its coal ambitions.
The government of Queensland last week gave the go-ahead for GVK's Alpha project in a move that would normally trigger a 30-day deadline for approval from the national government. But Burke said the new state government was "shambolic" and that its approval fell short of national standards.