Gas deal with Gina Rinehart exposes real beneficiaries of Crisafulli’s fossil fuel roadmap

The Queensland Conservation Council says a new deal to funnel taxpayer money to Gina Rinehart proves the Crisafulli Government is putting fossil fuel profits ahead of everyday Queenslanders and their right to a safe climate future.

The Crisafulli Government's Energy Roadmap, released on 10 October, outlined an expansion of gas generation up to 8.3 GW by 2035. Treasurer David Janetzki today announced a deal for taxpayer money to pay Gina Rinehart's Senex Energy to supply gas to the first of the proposed gas developments, the Brigalow Peaking Power Plant.

Queensland Conservation Council Coal and Gas Campaigner, Ms Charlie Cox said

Today's deal with Gina Rinehart shows who is going to benefit from this government's roadmap. It is literally lining the pockets of billionaires while locking the rest of us into climate disaster.

David Janetzki said repeatedly that the Crisafulli Government is not repealing the 75% emissions reduction target. But the science is clear, we cannot meet that target while also funding new gas projects. Gas is an expensive derailment of a safe climate future, not a transition fuel. When you count the full lifecycle of gas, it can emit 33% more emissions than coal over 20 years.

To make matters worse, most gas corporations pay little to no tax or royalties. Our government is subsidising an industry that gives back almost nothing to Queenslanders.

The way the Treasurer is again throwing around words like 'pragmatic' and 'realistic' to describe the energy roadmap is nothing short of misleading.

Today's deal shows that the roadmap is focused on maintaining profits for billionaires like Gina Rinehart. It will lock everyday Queenslanders into more extreme heat, floods, and fires. A plan that sacrifices our futures to make the rich richer isn't pragmatic or realistic. It's short-sighted, delusional, and devastating.

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