Background
- The LNP has secretly negotiated a deal with Adani (AKA Bravus) to further defer royalty payments and expand its Carmichael coal mine in Central Queensland
- The previous Labor Government’s “Transparent Royalties Framework” deal with Adani was never made available to the public, but media reporting suggests Queensland Treasury was, under the previous Government, investigating Adani in court for not meeting its royalty obligations
- The quality of coal being mined at the Carmichael Coal Mine means Adani is below the Newcastle benchmark, so it’s very unlikely subject to the higher rates applied under Queensland’s “progressive royalties” scheme, which only applies to coal super-profits
- The Greens have called for higher royalty rates to apply to all mining, raising billions of extra revenue for public services while fossil fuels are phased out
Greens MP for Maiwar Michael Berkman:
“The Premier clearly failed Negotiation 101. He’s given Adani a free pass to dig up more of Queensland’s coal, massively increase carbon emissions, all while returning LESS to Queensland in royalties.
“What are Queenslanders getting out of this deal, and if it’s so great, why can’t we see the details?
“It seems Adani’s big political donations are paying off in spades.
“Adani’s corporate fraud and tax minimisation is now common knowledge and this Premier has just sold Queenslanders down the river for this dodgy, polluting company.
“Queenslanders are likely being shortchanged by millions of dollars in royalties. That’s millions ripped out of our state schools, healthcare system and social housing, and the worst part is they won’t even tell us how much we’re being ripped off by.
“How ironic that the Premier’s managed to seal a secret deal with Adani to supercharge emissions, while teachers and nurses have to spend months begging him for fair wages and conditions.
“This Premier needs to wake up to himself. Adani never delivers on jobs, it never delivers on revenue, and frankly it’s embarrassing he’s let them pull the wool over his eyes again.
“Adani’s dirty coal is such poor quality that it wouldn’t even fetch prices high enough to attract the ‘super-profits’ royalty rates - so I call BS on their whingeing.
“The mining industry has always cried poor but Queensland’s royalty rates remain well below international standards, and Queensland taxpayers deserve a far better share.”