Gladstone Mayor calls on Peter Dutton to match Labor’s $2b green aluminium credit scheme
A regional mayor has called on the Federal opposition to match Labor’s big-money pledge after Peter Dutton labelled the scheme a “$2b con job”.
Central Queensland
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Queensland. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett has called on Federal opposition leader Peter Dutton to match Labor’s new $2bn green aluminium production credit scheme, saying it was designed to guarantee the future of thousands of aluminium jobs in his city and across Australia.
He made the comments during a Labor Party press conference on Wednesday promoting the scheme at Rio Tinto’s Boyne Smelter, which employees 1100 workers and 300 contractors.
To underline the importance of the industry to the region, Mr Burnett said there was another 1000 jobs at Rio Tinto’s Yarwun Alumina Refinery and about 1100 workers at Queensland Aluminia Ltd.
Earlier this week Mr Dutton said he wouldn’t support the scheme, describing it as a “$2bn con job” and claiming it would result in jobs shifting overseas.
“I can’t find anywhere in the world an aluminium smelter, a high energy use aluminium smelter, that is only run on wind and solar and batteries,” the opposition leader had said.
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Murray Watt said Labor’s $2bn scheme was focused on accelerating Australia’s four aluminium smelters’ move from coal power to renewable electricity via production credits.
Under the policy announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, producers would receive taxpayer support for every tonne of green aluminium they made in the decade to 2036.
Mr Watt said Mr Dutton’s views were out of step with a changing world.
“This is all about securing blue collar jobs in heavy industry in communities like Gladstone for decades to come,” he said.
“What we are seeing around the world in aluminium industry is that other countries are moving towards greener methods of producing electricity that the aluminium industry relies upon and if we don’t make that move towards greener sources of power we will see jobs in aluminium disappear from Australia.
“Peter Dutton has said he will oppose this plan by Labor to invest $2bn in the aluminium industry just as he said he will oppose our entire Future Made in Australia agenda which is revitalising manufacturing across Queensland and the country.
“He was part of the government that chased the car industry out of Australia the last time they were in power. What he has said by opposing Labor’s aluminium plan is that he is he is prepared to chase aluminium jobs out of Australia.”
Mr Burnett said the $2bn scheme wasn’t only a big win for Gladstone.
“When you look at this from a Queensland point of view this is jobs at Weipa and Gladstone, jobs in aluminium, in the alumina industry as well and not just jobs in Gladstone and Queensland but jobs right across the country.
“This is jobs for my friends, my family in Gladstone and we’re pretty happy to see this announcement and I’m sure everyone in Gladstone is keen to see it as well.
“Everyone one in Gladstone knows someone who works in the industry, particularly at Rio Tinto.
“We want to see aluminium increased in production and we’re so proud of this industry. They obviously need energy support and they’re getting that and they need this $2b fund which will allow them to continue into the future.
“I call on the Opposition to match it today. Match this fund for Gladstone, match this fund for Central Queensland and support the aluminium industry in Australia.”
Labor’s Assistant Minister for A Future Made in Australia Tim Ayres said there would be a premium price paid to companies that could commit to green aluminium and this scheme would put Australian aluminium “at the top table for the best prices in the most competitive position”.
While Mr Dutton said the $2bn of taxpayers’ money would only push up the price of electricity even further in Australia.
He said there was no example anywhere of a high energy use aluminium smelter that ran only on wind, solar and batteries.
“This cruel hoax that the Prime Minister’s pulling needs to be called out because for the Prime Minister’s policy to work … he would have to install 22,000 solar panels every single day, he would need 40 wind turbines each month and require 28,000km of poles and wires to deliver this policy.”
He said the Coalition believed strongly in renewables, but “they need to be firmed up by nuclear power”
“Which is what 19 of the top 20 economies in the world are doing,” he said.
“Australia is the only one not. So I want to achieve our net zero by 2050 outcome, I want to make sure that we are responsible in terms of our environmental footprint – 22,000 solar panels a day is a big impact on the environment, on wildlife, on all sorts of economic impacts on adjoining properties and local farming communities, and the Prime Minister doesn’t talk anything of that.”
Man headbutted cop, kicked another officer after street fight
A man who got into a street fight at Yeppoon then turned on police, headbutting one officer and kicking another in the chest.
Man belted by 100kg monster roo
A man has been airlifted to a Central Qld hospital after a ‘very aggressive buck’ kangaroo described as 2m tall and weighing nearly 100kg brutally attacked him just outside his home.