Net Zero – At What Cost?

OPINION PIECE

Australia is blessed with abundant resources — coal, uranium, sunshine, wind, and water. We should have the cheapest and most reliable power in the world. Instead, electricity bills are soaring, reliability is falling, and households are feeling the squeeze. The gap between what we are paying for power and what we should be paying keeps growing.

Investors are walking away from major wind and hydrogen projects, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Even members of the government are quietly questioning the current direction of Labor’s energy policy. The current path isn’t working.

A recent CSIRO report has confirmed that coal is, in fact, the cheapest form of energy in Australia at present.

My views have not changed and my message is clear: we need a balanced energy mix. Our priority must be practical outcomes that improve livelihoods, create stable electricity, and deliver cheaper power prices.

Labor’s wind-and-solar-only approach is not the answer. Their current strategy is hurting families, tearing up prime agricultural land, and damaging our natural landscapes — all while falling short of its own climate targets. Yes, the sun and wind are free, but the infrastructure is not. Long-distance transmission lines and battery storage cost billions.

We need to rethink the path we’re on. I’ve long called for a balanced energy mix — one that is open to all technologies: coal, gas, hydro, solar, bioenergy, carbon capture, and nuclear. So long as costs are reduced, the natural environment is protected, and the lights are kept on, I’m all for it.

Mackay’s Racecourse Mill Co-generation Plant is a great example of clean and cost‑effective electricity production. The plant generates around 30% of Mackay’s electricity. Why isn’t the government putting innovations like this on the table for similar solutions to operate?

At present, I am working with my Coalition colleagues on an Energy and Net Zero Task Force, set up to review and identify the best energy mix for the country moving forward. This will be presented to the Australian people as the Coalition’s vision for energy in this country — the policy we will advocate for and take to the next election.

Let’s face it, while the world is powering ahead and building stronger energy capacities, Australia is going backwards. We need a course correction before it becomes too hard to undo, leaving Australians impacted for generations.

We need to put people first. We need to consider the natural environment. And we need to think about how we keep the lights on 24/7 in all scenarios. Australia needs a refreshed energy policy — and it has to be practical.

Net Zero is about trying to achieve the impossible, rather than doing what’s sensible. And at what cost? Taxpayers can’t afford to sign a blank cheque.

We must change our course on the national energy mix and find the right balance.

Andrew Willcox MP
Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability
Member for Dawson

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