The State Government’s allocation of $118.2 million under the Resources Community Infrastructure Fund towards projects in coal-producing regions has been welcomed by the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).
The QRC urged the government to expand its investment in regional Queensland even further, particularly towards better roads and health services.
Acting Chief Executive Officer Judy Bertram said coal companies paid more than $15 billion in royalties to the State Government last financial year (2022-23).
She said based on current coal price forecasts, the QRC expects companies to pay almost $13 billion to the Queensland Government this financial year.
“This means that by June 30 this year, Queensland coal companies will have paid around $28 billion in royalty taxes to the State Government over the past two years,” Ms Bertram said.
“This is an enormous contribution by the coal industry to the State Government budget, and it’s only fair and reasonable that people living in regional areas benefit from the strong performance of the coal sector.”
