‘Back or block’ challenge to wedge Labor over coal-fired power station

Anthony Albanese will be forced to either back or block a $3.3m grant supporting a feasibility study into a new coal-fired power station in central Queensland.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Dylan Coker

Anthony Albanese will be forced to either back or block a $3.3m grant supporting a feasibility study into a new clean coal-fired power station in central Queensland, as the Morrison government prepares to wedge Labor MPs in parliament next week.

The 1GW HELE Collinsville coal-fired power station feasibility study, led by Shine Energy, received backing from the federal government after Scott Morrison pledged support ahead of last year’s election as the Coalition battled to retain Capricornia, a key marginal seat.

The Australian can reveal that Energy Minister Angus Taylor will table the feasibility study grant expenditure to parliament next week, putting pressure on the Opposition Leader and the Greens to decide whether to block the commitment in the Senate.

Within 15 sitting days of the grant expenditure being tabled to parliament, senators and MPs can give notice of a motion to disallow the legislative instrument, used to authorise the funding.

The power station feasibility study grant, which was announced on June 19 under the government’s $10m Supporting Reliable Energy Infrastructure program, was activated five days later under the Industry Research and Development Act legislative instrument.

Mr Taylor said “this is an opportunity for Labor to show they support jobs and lower power ­prices in regional Australia”.

“The Morrison government is supporting feasibility studies for two new generation projects — a 1GW HELE project in Collinsville and a 1.5GW pumped hydro project at the Urannah Water Scheme,” he said.

“A feasibility study is the first step in unlocking private sector investment which brings new jobs and delivers affordable, reliable power to Australian families and businesses.”

Nationals MPs, led by former resources minister Matt Canavan, have strongly backed a new coal-fired station in central ­Queens­land and the need for coal power to remain part of the ­nation’s ­energy mix into the ­future.

The government’s technology investment roadmap, which will set out a long-term energy strategy and consider advice provided by the National COVID Commission Advisory Board on gas, is expected to be released ahead of the October budget.

Ahead of parliament returning on Monday, fresh divisions have flared up inside the Labor ­partyroom over taxpayer-backed gas support and renewable ­energy.

In July, opposition climate change and energy spokesman Mark Butler said “the government’s support for Shine Energy’s new coal project has always been a hoax to buy votes and has nothing to do with securing jobs or affordable and reliable power in north Queensland.

“As the Australian Energy Council has previously said, new coal-fired power plants in Aus­tralia don’t stack up and are ­‘uninvestable’ because they are far more expensive than alternatives, including renewables backed by storage.

“Angus Taylor needs to spend less time wasting taxpayers’ money to hoodwink the people of north Queensland with coal-fired boondoggles and accept Labor’s call for a bipartisan energy policy that will deliver real jobs and ­investment to Queensland and the rest of the country,” Mr Butler said.