Calls Grow For Urgent Review Of Coal Royalties & Regulations

Federal Coalition representatives are warning that Labor’s mining regulations and coal royalty regime are costing jobs and damaging regional economies, with urgent calls for reform.

Shadow Minister for Resources Senator Susan McDonald said mining companies were preparing to mothball Queensland assets, with suppliers already being told their services were no longer required.

She said three years of the Albanese Labor Government’s policies had left miners struggling.

“This is a dire warning that Australia is becoming uninvestable, and this threatens the first-world lifestyles mining provides,” Senator McDonald said.

“The layering of Labor’s sneaky anti-productivity taxes, like the Safeguards tax, vehicle emissions tax, and skyrocketing energy costs is now impacting Australia’s ability to generate well paid jobs and budget-supporting income.

“It is madness that our own Federal Government can be so tone deaf to the impacts on our most profitable industries – impacts the Coalition repeatedly warned them about.

“Since Queensland Labor brought in the highest royalty rates in the world, times have changed, and cost of production has skyrocketed.

“There is a real need to investigate whether these royalty rates are having a negative impact on Queensland’s economy and the future pipeline of resources investment.

“If you work or are connected to the coal industry, you can blame Labor for wanting to appease activists instead of looking after the economic backbone of Australia.”

Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said the announcement of 750 job losses at BHP was devastating for Dysart and the Bowen Basin.

“This is not bad luck, it is the direct result of the former Labor government’s job-destroying royalty regime. Introduced by a former Labor Government, these royalties are now the highest in the world. They are driving up costs, shutting down investment and killing jobs across Central Queensland,” she said.

“I will be lobbying my LNP colleagues to bring forward an urgent review of the royalty regime. We simply cannot afford to sit on our hands while mines close and livelihoods are destroyed.

“The job-destroying Safeguard Mechanism is hitting 215 heavy industries, including 66 coal mines – 28 of which are in Capricornia. Central Queensland has become ground zero for Labor’s reckless carbon tax.

“Labor is waging war on mining, and workers are the collateral damage.

“Queensland deserves better. We need an urgent review of Labor’s destructive royalty regime to protect jobs, attract investment, and keep regional communities alive.”

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox said the flow-on effects for his region were already evident.

“Without coal mining in Queensland, we lose wealth across Australia,” he said.

“Mackay is home to the largest service sector in Australia for the mining industry and when coal isn’t being produced and we lose jobs, there’s a massive flow-on to the economy in Mackay and associated sectors.

“Time has run out and there needs to be urgent action to protect mining jobs, the services that support mining and the families who rely on coal to put food on the table. Enough is enough.”

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