Secret texts reveal Ros Bates told of Callide blast within hours

Text messages reveal Finance Minister Ros Bates' office knew of an “something happened at Callide aginan” just hours following the April 4 explosion.

Finance Minister Ros Bates at budget estimates. Picture: Annette Dew

Finance Minister Ros Bates was informed of the Callide Power Station explosion just hours after the April 4 incident, new text messages have revealed.

Text message chains, unveiled in Budget Estimates, have confirmed a person in Ms Bates’ office was told “something has happened at Callide C again” at 4.48pm on Friday April 4 – the day of the C3 explosion.

Queenslanders were not told about the explosion until days later – the government blaming failed communications from CS Energy executives to both its shareholders and ministers.

It comes after Labor on Tuesday made public text messages between former deputy premier Jeff Seeney – now the deputy chairman of CS Energy – and Ms Bates on April 7 and again on April 9 during estimates hearings with Treasurer David Janetzki.

In her opening statement on Wednesday morning, Ms Bates echoed Mr Janetzki’s response to the texts.

Right to Information laws have revealed text exchanges between Finance Minister Ros Bates' office and staff connected to the Callide C3 explosion in April.

“I confirm that neither shareholding Minister received text messages in relation to the incident from the CS Energy Board prior to the 8th of April 2025,” she said.

“CS Energy’s handling of the Callide c3 into incident did not meet the government’s or the public’s expectations.”

But new text chains show two exchanges about the C3 incident on April 4, one at 4.48pm and another at 6.53pm.

The latter occurred between a person named “Rebecca” and Ms Bates’ chief of staff Michael Negerevich.

It read: “Hi Michael, I understand Kellie has been updating you in relation to Callide unit c3. If there is anything additional you need please feel free to give me a call. Bec”.

A response from Mr Negerevich was then sent at 8.22pm.

“Hey Bec, Thanks for reaching out – appreciate it! If there is anything, will get in touch. Thank you”.

Further redacted communications from CS Energy deputy chairman Jeff Seeney to Ms Bates sent on April 10 were also disclosed.

Shadow Treasurer Shannon Fentiman grilled Ms Bates over who had sent the first warning text message at 4.48pm and whether Ms Bates was the recipient.

Ms Bates did not respond to the question – stating that the document containing the text messages was “under review” – despite it being a publicly available document.

She later conceded that Mr Negerevich had informed her of the incident, but refused to divulge what she was told or if or when she passed on any information received by her office.

“I was advised there was an incident yes, the magnitude of that incident was not made clear,” Ms Bates said.

In Tuesday’s Budget Estimates, Treasurer David Janetzki said neither he nor Ms Bates received communication about the explosion prior to April 8 from CS Energy board members.

Mr Janetzki came under intense scrutiny for not revealing the April explosion during a 25-page speech he gave on energy policy, or at a subsequent press conference on April 8.