The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) welcomes the completion of the 60km pipeline that will connect Senex’s Project Atlas gas project (near Wandoan) to Queensland Gas Pipeline at Wallumbilla.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said infrastructure company Jemena built the pipeline which was made possible after the Palaszczuk Government approved Project Atlas for domestic-only gas production in March 2018.

“I congratulate industry for partnering together to deliver more gas to the east coast market and the Palaszczuk Government for helping to put downward pressure on energy prices,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“The Palaszczuk Government has been very proactive in its support of the gas industry but other states must back their own industry and explore for their own gas.

“Queensland manufactures such O-I Australia, CSR and Orora can access this gas to power their businesses which can power further jobs. Already this pipeline project has created around 150-200 jobs."

Mr Macfarlane said last week APLNG sold 61 petajoules of gas (supply for approx. 1.5 million homes per year) to Origin for the domestic market.

“These are more examples of Queensland’s gas industry leading the nation with a forward looking approach to developing its gas reserves.”

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the ongoing progress on development of the Pembroke Resources Olive Downs coking coal mine, bringing up to 1000 jobs closer.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said Pembroke Resources’ announcement that the project had received its Environmental Authority (EA) for the $1 billion Olive Downs project, near Moranbah, was good news for Central Queenslanders.

“The Olive Downs mine will create up to 500 jobs during construction and up to 1000 once fully operational.  The finalisation of the EA is an important next step to bring this project closer to a reality.

“A clear timetable and a set of milestones for development are important for all resources projects, given the size of each investment and the time needed for planning.”

Mr Macfarlane said Olive Downs will be one of the largest open cut coking coal mines in the world and more importantly a significant contributor to royalty payments which build the vital infrastructure which benefits all Queenslanders.

“This is more good news for Queensland’s coal industry. It’s high-quality coal, close to ports and highlights the wealth of opportunities Queensland can generate from the largest exporting coking coal basin in the world, the Bowen Basin.

“The Isaac region is a heartland for our resources sector, creating so much of the wealth that benefits our state. This project will be another valuable addition to Queensland’s world-leading resources sector.”

Queensland’s resource sector operates within a strict environmental management framework while using only 0.1 per cent of Queensland’s land mass.

www.qrc.org.au

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AN online survey launched today makes it easy for Australians to have their say about improving question time in the House of Representatives.

Bert van Manen, the chair of the House Procedure Committee, said the survey is part of a parliamentary inquiry into the way question time is run.

"The survey lets you quickly and easily provide your thoughts about what we could do differently during question time," Mr van Manen said. "It takes just a few minutes to do."

Committee Deputy Chair Milton Dick said it is a great opportunity for everyday Australians to get involved.

"We’re open to all ideas and this is just one way that people can provide feedback," Mr Dick said. 

"People can also provide written submissions until the survey closes on October 31."

In its inquiry, the Committee will consider ideas about the format of Question Time, how questions can be asked and the standing orders that govern question time. The behaviour of individual MPs is not part of the inquiry.

The Committee is also consulting MPs and looking at how question time operates in other parliaments.

"We want to get feedback from a broad range of people," Mr van Manen said. "I encourage everyone to have their say."

For more information about this Committee, visit its website https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Procedure.

On the site, people can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell agrees with RBA Governor Philip Lowe’s view that small business needs support from our financial institutions.

“In cutting the official cash rate to an all-time-low of 0.75 percent, RBA Governor Philip Lowe made several pertinent observations about the credit squeeze affecting the Australian small business sector and how that’s effecting the economy more broadly,” Ms Carnell said.

“Most would agree with Dr Lowe’s comment that we will all be better off if businesses have the confidence to expand, invest, innovate and hire people.

“Dr Lowe says lending standards have strengthened, but the ‘pendulum may have swung a bit too far’ in some areas," she said.

“Vitally, Dr Lowe made it clear that our financial institutions should support small businesses, stating ‘lenders should not be so scared of making a loan that goes bad that they don’t provide the credit the economy needs’.

“The RBA Governor’s advice should be heeded. The overwhelming feedback to my office from the small business community is that a lack of access to funding is their biggest barrier to growth," Ms Carnell said.

“The most recent SME Growth Index revealed one in five SMEs are experiencing cash flow problems due to business loans being rejected.

“Even the Australian Banking Association has acknowledged that small business loan applications have fallen by 33 percent since 2014.

“It’s time we all sit up and listen to the RBA Governor. If our financial institutions change the way they do business with SMEs, it might just give small businesses the confidence they need to grow, which would be if significant benefit the Australian economy.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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