The Nature Conservation Council of NSW has lodged a complaint with the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission asking it to investigate potential breaches to competition law arising from the Keneally government’s development of a coal mine in Cobbora.
The Government’s $1.3 billion coalmine will supply state-owned power generators with coal at between $35 to $40 a tonne, well below the export market price of $60 to $70 a tonne and an artificial subsidy for polluting coal-fired power generation.
“The government subsidy of coal prices is a significant barrier to the development and growth of much-needed clean, renewable sources of power such as wind and solar-thermal in NSW,” Nature Conservation Council of NSW Chief Executive Officer Pepe Clarke said in a media release today.
“The $1.3 billion would be more wisely invested in making NSW a world-leader in innovative, low emissions power generation, driving economic growth through new jobs and export opportunities for the state.
“The Nature Conservation Council of NSW calls on all parties contesting the upcoming State election in March to rule out the establishment of a state-run coal mine at Cobbora and suspend any coal supply agreement that distorts energy markets by reducing the price of coal,” Mr Clarke said.
Read more in the article Coalmine subsidy will harm competition, say conservationists by Brian Robins (SMH, 16 December 2010)
Photo: Yewenyi
