All MPs must heed bipartisan committee call to bin Galilee ban: QRC

THE Queensland Resources Council has welcomed a bipartisan Parliamentary Committee’s recommendation to reject legislation proposing a ban on the development of coal reserves in the State’s Galilee Basin.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane, who gave evidence to the State Development, Natural Resources and Agricultural Industry Development Committee and made a joint written submission with the CFMEU, said the legislation was written by the Greens to write off future jobs, investment, exports and royalties for all Queenslanders.

“I urge all Members of Parliament to vote against this Bill and reaffirm their commitment to the resources sector and acknowledge the 316,000 Queensland men and women working in it,” he said. 

“This sort of bumper sticker legislation is dangerous. It completely disregarded the facts that all mining projects are subject to a comprehensive environmental approval process, their operations are subject to an environmental authority and they undertake rehabilitation of the site,” Mr Macfarlane said.

The Mineral Resources (Galilee Basin) Amendment Bill 2018 proposed the Parliament: prohibits the grant of a coal mining lease for land in the Galilee Basin; terminates any existing coal mining leases for land in the Galilee Basin; amends any existing coal mining leases which overlap with land in the Galilee Basin to exclude that land; confirms that no compensation is payable to the mining lease holders affected by the Bill; and
requires the Mines Minister to table a report in the Legislative Assembly summarising the actions taken under the provisions of the Bill.

QRC and CFMEU’s joint submission to the Committee warned that the precedent for Parliament to cancel any approval or right will clearly deter future investment, future job creation and future economic development in other industries— not just coal mining.

There are numerous projects planned for Queensland. The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science reported in a recent Resources and Energy Quarterly,  that in Queensland, there are: $22.9 billion in projects at the publicly-announced stage; $68.7 billion at the feasibility stage; $7.9 billion at the committed stage, and $2.1 billion at the completed stage.

The committee recommended  the Mineral Resources (Galilee Basin) Amendment Bill 2018 not be passed.

The committee also recommended that the Queensland State Government advocate for a consistent national framework for climate change policy and emission targets, as the current federal policy instability may hinder Queensland’s adoption of future climate change actions and pathways.

Mr Macfarlane said the Committee’s recommendation on consistent national framework for climate change policy and emission targets aligned with QRC’s policy.

www.qrc.org.au

ends