Queensland government pushes back on speculation about coal royalties
The state government has set the record straight on its plans for coal royalties after a comment by Resource Minister Dale Last hinted at changes. Find out whether they’ll be slashed.
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The state government has poured cold water on speculation that it planned to reduce tiered coal royalties, after a comment by Resource Minister Dale Last appeared to suggest that they were looking to review their approach.
Addressing the mining industry last month, Mr Last was asked by Queensland Resources Council to address “the elephant in the room” – whether to axe tiered coal royalties.
Mr Last responded saying that the government was considering a model “that meets everyone’s expectations”.
The comment was seized upon by Deputy Leader of the Opposition Cameron Dick, who quizzed Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki about it in parliament last Thursday.
“Is the Treasurer considering changing progressive coal royalty tiers, as reported in the Townsville Bulletin, which quotes the resources minister?” Mr Dick asked.
Mr Janetzki responded saying, “there will be no changes, as we committed to before the election, and those opposite know it”.
When asked for further clarification on the LNP’s stance on coal royalties, a spokesman for Mr Last confirmed that the government wasn’t amending royalties.
“Labor’s unpredictable anti-mining policies threatened jobs in North Queensland and drove investment out of our state,” he said.
“It’s one of the many reasons why mining communities continue to send a strong message against Labor.
“Unlike Labor, the Crisafulli Government backs Queensland’s hardworking mining families, and is supporting the mining industry with faster decisions and streamlined approvals.”
It is understood that the government was looking at other ways to support the mining industry, like cutting down on approval time frames for projects.
Originally published as Queensland government pushes back on speculation about coal royalties
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