BHP scapegoats coal workers to play politics on coal royalties

BHP is the latest corporation to put a coal mine into care and maintenance and cut hundreds of jobs, a move the Queensland Conservation Council says is scapegoating workers and falsely blaming Queensland's progressive coal royalty scheme.

The peak environment body calls this another case of deceptive practice, and praises the Crisafulli Government for keeping their promise to ensure everyday Queenslanders get a fair share of coal profits. A survey of Central Queensland residents by Lock the Gate, Mackay Conservation Group, and Whitsunday Conservation Council found this is what regional communities want too.

Recent independent analysis by IEEFA revealed labour shortages, rising operating costs, falling commodity prices, ageing workforces and regulatory demands are driving costs for coal miners, not the progressive coal royalty scheme.

Graph: Mines' rising cash operating costs far exceeding royalties

Source: IEEFA

Queensland Conservation Council campaigner Ms Charlie Cox said

BHP is making a business decision that has to do with costs and coal prices to shut a more expensive mine, and then deceptively choosing to play politics and tell workers and communities it’s the Government’s fault.

The detail miners like BHP choose to leave out of their scaremongering is that the progressive royalties scheme works just like the taxes you and I pay - increasing rates only kick in when coal prices exceed certain thresholds. When prices are high, the royalty rates go up. When prices are low, the burden is much less. Coal corporations in Queensland are paying less for royalties now than they were before the progressive scheme was introduced.

Let's not forget, royalties take a share of the super profits these corporations make and put it back into our communities. They are a fair, bare minimum, and represent a huge opportunity to fund the training and infrastructure needed to diversify our regional economies into secure, sustainable work like renewable industries.

We congratulate the Crisafulli Government for standing up to these dishonest claims by mining companies, and call on the media to more critically analyse company lines in their reporting to Queenslanders.

Mackay Conservation Group campaigner Imogen Lindenberg said

Our recent door-knocking survey of residents in Central Queensland, Mackay and the Whitsundays found 85.6% believe there should be a plan to support workers and diversify the regional economy. A further 90% want to see even more royalties coming back into the community.

We kept hearing from community members that they don’t want to put all of their eggs in the coal basket. Regional communities are asking for honesty, for a realistic plan, and for protection, not more lies from super-profiting coal companies like BHP.

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