Tag Archives: coal

Coal, climate change, solar & batteries – why Qld Treasury wanted to offload the state’s energy assets

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Gene Tunny

The recent Financial Times report Development bank halts coal financing to combat climate change, reprinted in this morning’s AFR, should prompt some serious long-term thinking from the Queensland government and local governments with regional economies heavily dependent on coal mining, … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Mackay, Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Economics of second best in energy policy

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Gene Tunny

Australia’s energy policy is such a confusing mess that the Australian’s economics editor Judith Sloan actually supports the ACCC’s dubious call (in its Electricity Pricing Inquiry Final Report) for the Australian Government to act as a buyer of last resort … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What I’m expecting from the 2018-19 Qld state budget

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Gene Tunny

This coming Tuesday, 12 June, Queensland Deputy Premier-Treasurer Jackie Trad will deliver her first state budget. It is her best chance to establish her economic credibility. Trad is fortunate the state economy is performing reasonably well, albeit not strongly across … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Adani no go would be bitter blow to Townsville

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Gene Tunny

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill is one of the strongest advocates for the Adani mega mine, and she must now be very worried that the mine will not proceed, and that Townsville will miss out on the mine HQ, FIFO jobs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining, Townsville, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

NAIF $900M loan to Adani for mega-mine rail line is far from a first best solution, possibly second or third best

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Gene Tunny

As a former Treasury official and long-time critic of industry assistance, I’m sympathetic to the Federal Opposition’s criticism of the expected $900 million soft loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) to Adani for the rail line to its … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Coal and LNG push Qld commodity exports up to $1 billion per week

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Gene Tunny

The surge in coal prices in the second half of 2016 and increased exports of LNG from Gladstone’s Curtis Island have pushed Queensland’s commodity exports to over $52 billion in 2016, or $1 billion per week, up from around $49 … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Qld Treasury was right to be cautious on coal royalties windfall

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Gene Tunny

Queensland Treasury was right not to get too excited about the currently elevated coal prices and the surge in royalties when it updated its budget protections (chart below) last month.  As reported in today’s Australian, a report from the Chief … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Why the Adani mega mine is welcome news in Townsville

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Gene Tunny

It is welcome news to the local community that Adani will base its Carmichael coal mine headquarters in Townsville , which has struggled with job losses and high unemployment over the last couple of years. The Townsville Bulletin reports: “Townsville … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining, North Queensland, Townsville, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Strong LNG-led export growth means Qld should record economic recovery in first half of 2015

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Queensland appears on track to record a recovery from the technical recession of the second-half of 2014, due to a large increase in exports in recent months, in part associated with the LNG now being shipped out of Gladstone (see … Continue reading →

Posted in Exports, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Qld coal exports decline of 5.5% big contributor to total exports decline

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Lower coal prices have translated into a decline in the value of Queensland’s coal exports (by 5.5% in the year to February 2015), contributing to a 1.6% decline in the value of Queensland’s total commodity exports over the same period … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments