Qld cops $18bn bill due to extreme weather disaster loss

A new report has highlighted the disproportionate impact of extreme weather in the Sunshine State as debate rages over the country’s energy direction.

Queensland is acutely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change after paying more than double any other state or territory for extreme weather disaster losses in the past decade, according to a new report from a leading independent body.

The Sunshine State copped $18bn worth of bills associated with disasters between 2010 and 2019, more than half the national total of $35bn.

Climate Council spokesperson and report lead author Professor Will Steffen said Queensland had suffered great economic hardship from extreme weather events, which would only intensify if new policy didn’t reduce the impact of climate change.

“There is no doubt that we have entered an era of consequences arising from decades,” he said.

Queensland is vulnerable to extreme weather disasters. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“And it is going to get worse. By 2038, extreme weather events driven by climate change, as well as issues like sea level rise, could cost the Australian economy $100bn every year.”

The vast expanses of the Sunshine State make it particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation says Longreach grazier and Farmers for Climate Action spokesperson Angus Emmott.

The state has recently been at the mercy of the devastating Black Summer fires, extreme heat, a crippling drought, water shortages and further bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef.

But Mr Emmott says the same attributes that make it vulnerable to climate change also make it uniquely positioned to revolutionise the state’s clean energy industry.

“Queensland has the potential to be a clean industry powerhouse and regional Queensland should be at the forefront,” he said.

Flooding has been a destructive element of the Sunshine State’s weather.

“If serious climate action is taken now, Queensland will be better able to weather the worst impacts of climate change and cement a sustainable future that sees industries, businesses and communities thrive.”

The report landed as Senator Matt Canavan spruiked the National Party’s proposal to construct new coal-fired power stations, sparking a renewed debate within the Coalition government over the future of Australia’s energy industry.

The backbench manufacturing plan involves investing in coal-fired stations to reduce power prices, claiming the use of Australian coal “would be better for the environment” than importing manufactured goods from countries that use “lower quality coal”.

“As a recent Australian Energy Market Operator (report stated), Australia will need 6 to 19GW of reliable power to back up renewables over the next 20 years,” the plan reads. “That is in effect around four to 12 coal-fired power stations.

“Given that the NSW government has recently announced plans to shut 8520 megawatts of coal-fired power, (the federal ­government) should also support a new coal-fired power station in the Hunter Valley.”

But the proposal has been rejected by Melbourne and Sydney Liberal MPs, including Dave Sharma, Trent Zimmerman, Jason Falinski, Tim Wilson, Katie Allen and Andrew Bragg, who say the direction of energy sources in Australia should be based on gas, hydro and batteries.

No state has been hit harder by disasters than Queensland. Picture: Handout / Queensland Fire and Emergency Services / AFP

This follows a separate report from the Climate Council released in October that argued Queensland had a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to become a world leader in renewable energy industries, create about 25,000 new roles and contribute $500 billion to the national economy.

The report, Leaders and Legends: Thousands of Clean Jobs for Queenslanders, outlined how the state had a unique advantage to capitalise on the energy industry and export opportunities.

The council proposes the investment to come from both the public and private sector to unlock the benefits for the economy.

“There are so many reasons to be optimistic about Queensland’s economic future as it rebuilds from COVID-19,” Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said.

“The Queensland government can seize this moment to create jobs that get people back to work now and turn Queensland into a clean industry superpower.

“Generations of Queenslanders could work in these clean industries.”