Premier Palaszczuk open to blocking planned coal-fired power station at Collinsville as Albanese says study funding is ‘hush money’
Funding for a feasibility study into a coal-fired power plant under fire, amid Palaszczuk ‘tread slowly’ warning.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese says the federal government’s $4 million for a feasibility study for a north Queensland coal-fired power station is “hush money” for the climate sceptics in the Coalition.
In a strongly worded attack, the Opposition Leader said it was “quite remarkable” the Morrison government was paying the proponent of the Collinsville power station plan $4m of taxpayers’ money to assess its own project, without the study even going to tender.
“At the moment you have a government that says in its talking points that they’re not about taxation when it comes to action on climate change,” he said.
“But they’re actually using $4m of taxpayers’ funds to give to a private operation that has no record of building a new power station anywhere, and I see that frankly as just hush money for the climate sceptics in the Coalition government.”
“There’s nothing to stop, or to have stopped, a new power station powered by any source, in terms of coal, or renewables or gas, in this country for the last seven years they’ve been in office.”
“The thing that is stopping it is economics, it is the market that is speaking. That’s something that’s not about to change.”
Mr Albanese was also asked what his position was on the Adani coal mine, being built by the Indian conglomerate in central Queensland’s Galilee Basin, and whether it was a good thing that it was going ahead.
He was reminded that, at his first press conference after being elected Labor leader following the election loss last year, he could not state his position for the controversial mine.
“In terms of the Adani mine that’s been approved, it’s a good thing that those jobs are being created,” he said. “I support jobs regardless of where they are, and that is a very good thing, and I support those jobs and the economic activity that will arise from it.”
Mr Albanese said that in order for Labor to win back voters’ support in regional Queensland, the party needed to show “we respect workers, whether they be coal workers or in other industries, that’s the first thing we need to do”.
‘Tread slowly’, Premier warns
It came as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has opened the door to blocking the proposed coal-fired power station in Queensland on environmental grounds, warning the federal government to “tread very slowly” on the project.
The Queensland Premier said she hadn’t yet seen details of a feasibility being conducted into the proposed facility at Collinsville, and was concerned the plan could lead to privatisation of the state’s power assets.
“We have the most efficient coal-fired power station fleet in the nation. It employs hundreds of jobs,” Ms Palaszczuk told Sky News.
“Usually the market decides if another coal-fired power station is required but the feasibility study would have to look at a whole range of impacts including what impact that would have on the Great Barrier Reef.
“I think everybody here knows too that the Great Barrier Reef is not just a national icon, it’s an international icon.
“I’m happy to have a look at the feasibility study but I don’t even have the details of the feasibility study so let me have a look at those in the first instance.
“We’re actually supplying the extra capacity of energy into NSW and Victoria and like I said we already have the most efficient coal-fired power fleet in the nation.”
Asked if she would support the mine if no government money went towards it, Ms Palaszczuk said: “What we’re hearing is that the federal government is looking at paying for it.”
“If the federal government is looking at paying for it, is this privatisation? Is this getting ready to privatise off our state assets?
‘We’ve had a couple of election campaigns very clearly in Queensland where they do not want their assets sold.
“I think the federal government should tread very slowly when it comes to this issue.”
