Queensland pulls rank on Clive Palmer coal power station

The Queensland government has taken 11th-hour action to block local council approval for Clive Palmer’s proposed new coal-fired power station.

Clive Palmer. Picture: Getty Images

The Queensland government has taken 11th-hour action to block local council approval for Clive Palmer’s proposed new coal-fired power station.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles used his powers as Planning Minister to “call in” the assessment and approval process for the proposed 700MW power station in the burgeoning Galilee Basin coal province, northwest of the town of Alpha in Central Queensland.

The billionaire businessman’s Waratah Coal applied to the Barcaldine Regional Council in 2019 for approval of the $1.54bn project under a local planning provision that did not even require public consultation.

Mr Palmer, who also heads and funds the United Australia Party, plans to build the power station on his Waratah Coal mining lease, which would provide coal directly to the generator.

The coal-fired power station – which would be the first to be built in Australia in decades – is being touted by Mr Palmer as a high-efficiency, low-emission ultra-supercriticial station.

Mr Miles intervened under the planning minister’s “call-in” power to take over the decision making on applications in the name of “economic and environmental state interests”.

Barcaldine Mayor Sean Dillion, who supports the project, said a council decision on the project was imminent.

Mr Dillion said the region needed more reliable electricity and that the proposed station would be “at the vanguard of clean energy sources” for base load power.

Mr Miles said the application had exploited an outdated council provision and that the state’s intervention would ensure the project underwent a thorough assessment, which would include environmental, electricity market and community impacts.

“Barcaldine Regional Council has never assessed a project of this size,’’ he said. “This call in allows the state to address a broader range of matters than the council was able to under their planning scheme.

“This will include seeking public comment on the project. I want to make sure the community get their say on a project of this scale.

“Council’s initial assessment work was very useful to the Planning Department in their preparation of advice, and this was considered along with representations from interested parties regarding the proposed call-in.’’

After the announcement on Thursday, Mr Dillion said council understood the need to have a broader assessment of the project but that the region needed better power. “We need it out here, the base load power is a struggle in a lot of regions,’’ he said.

“And the proposed plant promises to be a zero emitter not just through offsets but also clean coal technology.

“But we expected the call-in and in terms of a project of this scale and significance given the broader impacts and political considerations with a coal-fired power station. We are not opposed to renewable energy, it should be part of the mix, but it isn’t going to happen overnight and we need reliable power.’’

A spokesman for Mr Palmer declined to comment. In 2018, Mr Palmer said the power station was part of his planned coal mine project, one of several proposed mines in the Galilee Basin.

“The Galilee Power Station will be developed as a contingent component of the overall project, providing the power needs for the mine operations, coal transportation and port operations, ready for export coal to Gladstone and future power needs for our proposed North Galilee coal mine development,’’ he said at the time.

The Carmichael Coal mine in the Galilee Basin, being developed by Indian conglomerate Adani, this year began extracting thermal coal and will next year begin exporting.

When Mr Palmer first announced plans for the station, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said “Queensland does not need another coal fired power station’’.