[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: Abbott Government refuses to rule out federal funding for Galilee Basin mines, ports and railways

[Vandeleur, Monique (Sen L. Waters)]

Senator Larissa Waters
Senator for Queensland

Media release

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Abbott Government refuses to rule out federal funding for Galilee Basin mines, ports and railways

In the Senate today the Abbott Government refused to rule out federal funding for Galilee Basin coal mines, ports and railways, by denying a vote on a Greens' motion.

"We have the Newman Government trying to flog off public assets to give away money to  the big mining companies to destroy our Great Barrier Reef and climate.

"And now the Abbott Government has failed to rule out federal taxpayer-funded handouts for the Galilee Basin coal disaster," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

"I put a motion to the Senate that federal funds should not be given to the big mining companies for Galilee Basin coal mines, ports and railways.

"Abbott Government senators refused to allow the motion to go to a vote so we can only conclude that they are not ruling out topping up Campbell Newman's handouts.

"The big mining companies are the real 'leaners' in Australia - already the Abbott Government gives away $4 billion a year to the mining industry in subsidies.

"The Newman Government's crazed push to export hundreds of mega tonnes of coal out of the Great Barrier Reef, threatens our tourism and agricultural industries, all for the sake of propping up a dying industry.

"What's more, Campbell Newman wants to flog off our public assets to do it, which Queenslanders will be rightly outraged by, especially as the handouts for coal barons will go to destroying our Great Barrier Reef and climate," Senator Waters said.

Contact - Monique Vandeleur 0419 626 725

Motion text:

That the Senate-



(a)  notes that:

(i)      the Queensland Premier, Mr Campbell Newman, has announced that he will use public money from the sale or long term lease of public assets to build a coal railway for mining magnates,

(ii)    Premier Newman has already announced that public money will be used to pay for dredging in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and dumping on the nationally-significant Caley Valley wetlands near Abbot Point, and

(iii)   Queensland's existing industries, our safety, our environment, including the Great Barrier Reef, and our very way of life are at risk from climate change which is driven by burning fossil fuels; and

(b)  calls on the Federal Government to rule out allowing federal public funds to be used to pay for coal mines, railways or coal ports associated with the Galilee Basin.