Queensland election: Miners campaign to put Greens last

The Queensland Greens have proposed hiking coal royalties to up to five times what they are now as the centrepiece of their economic plans for the state.

The Queensland Greens have proposed hiking coal royalties to up to five times what they are now, as well as a smaller increase in property taxes and a levy on the banks as the centrepiece of their economic plans for the state.

Under the Greens proposal, coal royalties paid directly to the Queensland government would rise from a projected $4.4bn this year to $18.8bn, while over the next four years revenue from coal would rise from $18bn in projec­t­ed government revenue to $73bn.

The state’s peak mining body, the Queensland Resources Council, has responded to the program with a targeted campaign in key inner-city electorates to “put Greens last”.

Mineral royalties in Queensland are currently paid on a sliding scale, dependent on the type of coal being mined, but at its lowest level it is 7 per cent of total value and, at its highest, 12.5 per cent.

The Greens plan proposes a flat royalty payment of 35 per cent on all coal, regardless of the type being mined.

Government figures show that $5.2bn was collected in royalties from coal and other minerals­ in 2018/19, while in the 12 months to June 30 this year, $4.4bn was collected.

The Greens plan proposes an extra $55bn over four years through the increase in mining royalties, an extra $4.6bn over the same period by imposing a “big bank levy” on the five biggest banks operating in Queensland, and an extra $7.8bn through extra taxes on property developers.

While the Greens are unlikely to get enough seats to win government, there is the possibility of the party backing the ALP as a minor­ity government, despite the claims of Premier Annastacia Palasz­czuk that there would be “no deals” to form government.

The Greens hold one seat, Maiwar, in the Queensland parliament but are putting resources into another two inner-Brisbane seats, Cooper and South Brisbane.

The Liberal National Party’s decision to put the ALP last in its preferences increases the chances of the Greens picking up the seats.

The first QRC billboard went up on Brisbane’s Story Bridge on Tuesday. It reads: Jobs will Go, Put your job first, and Vote Greens last. The QRC will also undertake a targeted letter-drop campaign in the inner city aimed at minimising the Greens vote in those three seats.