New lobby group Coal Australia has drawn a line in the sand in its bid to maintain relevance in the community.
The group pitched its messages of regained pride and coal community resilience in the Bowen Basin and Hunter Valley in an opening address recently at Brisbane’s Tattersalls Club.
The LNP was represented in force with at least eight serving MLAs and Senator Susan Mcdonald represented.
The campaign is funded by mining companies in Queensland and New South Wales including Bowen Coking Coal.
Main image – Nick Jorss makes his Coal Australia pitch to the audience at Brisbane’s Tattersalls Club
The industry needed to regain lost ground Bowen Coking Coal Executive Chairman Nick Jorss told the audience of around 250.
“We also have a government boasting about ‘world-beating’ royalties,” he said.
“If you want to be good at something, Olympic gold medals in Paris. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a government before boast about having world-beating royalties and that comes with consequence.
“The reason for me, this is kind of personal, is that they’re trying to kill not just our industry, but my little company … we’ve all put a lot of hard work into this business.
“We spent 400 million bucks worth of shareholders’ money and our financiers’ money to open up a few mines. We had to shut Bluff, which has cost 300 jobs. And a big part of that was royalties.”
The coal industry’s contribution to the community, society and economy were being ignored.
“What I think is going to shift a lot of boats and a lot of people is the fact that cost of living is going through the roof and electricity underpins every part of our economy.
“Energy is our economy. So that’s where I think we’re focusing, just on that coal is in the state.
“So what we propose and what we’re doing is what we think is a better way … Stand together, promote the industry and restore pride, activate our base. That’s what Coal Australia is doing.”
They were looking to restore social licence, Mr Jorss said.
“When I talk to people out there, there is a sense of underlying pride. They just haven’t had permission to speak about it.
“And that’s certainly what we found with a very comprehensive poll. Eighty-nine per cent of people said coal mining is important to them and their community.
“Eighty-two per cent said they’re proud their community contributes to Australia’s economy through coal mining, 75 per cent support attracting greater investment to grow Queensland’s coal industry.”
The campaign would range from town hall meetings to billboards and full-page newspaper advertisements, Mr Jorss said.