The Nature Conservation Council of NSW has welcomed the parliamentary inquiry’s recommendation
that the sale of the state’s power assets should be stopped immediately as adding to the
overwhelming case for the end of the proposed development of a state‐owned Cobbora mine.
“There is no way a current or future NSW government can justify spending $1.3 billion on a stateowned
coal mine that will artificially subsidise polluting coal‐fired power generation and hold back the
crucial growth of clean energy,” Nature Conservation Council of NSW Chief Executive Officer Pepe
Clarke said.
“Yesterday’s Auditor‐ General’s report found taxpayers will be exposed to substantial financial risks from developing the Cobbora mine and burdened with cushioning coal polluters against rising global coal prices.
“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. Premier Mike Rann recently announced that wind farms now provide 20 per cent of South Australia’s power needs and NSW lags behind other states in developing clean energy resources.
“We’ve taken our serious concerns about the impact of Cobbora on the growth of clean energy to the
Australian Consumer Competition Commission for potential consideration of whether the proposal
breaches competition law because of the sizeable subsidy involved.
“The $1.3 billion we’re about to squander on subsidising polluting power could 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 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.
Photo: Yewenyi/Flickr Creative Commons
