Quarry Vision

Some important facts about the Australian coal mining industry and it's relationship to our economy.

• Mining's share of GDP in 2007-08 was 8%. Factor in minerals processing, metals production, services to mining and the fossil-energy sector and the Australian quarry accounts for less than 15% of GDP. Export of coal only comprises 4% of this figure.
• Mining accounts for around 1.3% of employment during a boom. Bunnings employs almost one-and-a-half times as many people as the entire aluminium industry.
• Australia's mining companies and energy producers are majority foreign-owned so most of their profits go offshore. BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Xstrata and Anglo Coal are the biggest players in the coal industry and all are majority foreign-owned.
• We provide less than 1% of China's coal, and most of that goes to steel mills rather than power stations.
• If we're to judge objectively what the quarry contributes we really ought to subtract the various subsidies paid out by governments. Mining, metals and energy industries enjoy billions of dollars in tax breaks, fuel excise rebates, cheap electricity contracts, royalty holidays and infrastructure. The taxpayer provides some $9 billion annually in energy and transport subsidies. The resources sector is a very significant taxpayer, but one way or another, much of the money that the quarry industries contribute returns to them by a different route.
• Did you know..... That the annual greenhouse gas reductions from changing 20 million incandescent light bulbs to energy saving fluorescents is completely negated by the Queensland coal industry in 32 hours?

Countries around the world are setting ambitious targets for changing their energy mix.  Not only are they  funding the development of cost-effective renewables but they are also legislating at local, state and federal levels to encourage investment and innovation.  This will result in a profound change in the world's energy mix and 'dirty' coal will be squeezed out of the market.

View the Greens policies on energy at http://qld.greens.org.au/election/policy/climate-change-and-energy