25% gas export levy to make polluters pay
A diverse coalition of community organisations is calling on the Federal and Queensland Governments to back a 25 per cent levy on gas exports, ensuring Australians receive a fair return from publicly owned resources.
As households face rising bills, gas companies are exporting Queensland resources at record profits.
Add your name to the joint statement calling for this simple, practical way to ease cost of living pressure and invest in stronger, more resilient communities.
Queensland organisations and individuals unite behind 25% gas export levy
Queensland is one of the most disaster-prone and climate-vulnerable states in Australia, with communities facing repeated floods, cyclones and extreme weather.
Climate disasters, including flooding, bushfire and cyclones, have cost Queenslanders more than $24 billion in the past three years alone.
Without stronger action, those costs will only grow, hitting households, small businesses and communities hardest.
At the same time, Queensland plays a central role in Australia’s gas exports. Exports of liquefied natural gas from Australia are worth over $70 billion every year, with Queensland accounting for roughly 30% of Australia’s LNG exports, but the existing tax system fails to capture sufficient value for the Australian people from these lucrative exports.
With the value of gas exports surging due to the conflict in Iran, a 25 per cent levy on gas export revenue could generate around $18.6 billion annually, including around $5.6 billion linked to Queensland’s share of exports.
The extensive earnings by corporations highlights a growing imbalance, where communities are dealing with rising costs and climate impacts, while multinational gas companies generate substantial profits exporting Australian resources with relatively low public returns.
A 25 per cent levy on gas exports would generate significant public revenue that could be reinvested to support Queenslanders doing it tough and strengthen long-term resilience.
Revenue from a gas export levy could support:
- Immediate cost-of-living relief for Queenslanders, including targeted energy bill support for households doing it toughest and programs to assist disadvantaged and vulnerable communities cope with cost of living pressures
- Disaster preparedness and climate resilience, particularly in urban and regional areas facing repeated extreme weather
- Rehabilitation of legacy mine sites, ensuring environmental liabilities are not left to taxpayers, communities and Traditional Custodians, with First Nations communities disproportionately impacted by mining.
- Electrification and energy efficiency upgrades, helping households reduce bills and better withstand future energy and climate shocks
The people and organisations below are calling on governments at all levels to work together to implement this reform and ensure Queenslanders receive a fair share of the value generated from gas exports.
