New royalties system means coal rethink

摘要

INDUSTRY ESTIMATES are that around a dozen new coal mine projects in Queensland are being sent back to the number-crunchers after the Labor State Government announced a new export coal royalty regime that is variously expected to add between l .8 billion Australia dollars and 3.2 billion dollars to the State's royalty income from the industry by 2012. Through local peak body, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), the industry has described the Government move - unveiled in June in the 2008-09 State budget - as a "smash and grab raid" that may threaten Queensland's international coal market's competitiveness.