Media Release

Party Federal Leader Bob Katter has warned that Switzerland-based mining company Xstrata’s refusal to buy power off the national grid will smash the growth of inland North Qld.

“The Mount Isa gas-fired power station was only, even if rebuilt, going to supply the narrowinterests of Xstrata; strangling opportunity for new mines and the giant proposed projects for wind and coal mine developments at Hughenden and the (solar) biofuels projects for Pentland, Charters Towers – the latter mooted to produce ethanol and electricity,” said theFederal Member for Kennedy.

“The electricity feedstock would be cane fibre, which unlike coal, is for ‘free’ and is anon-polluting renewable. And as coal and gas prices increase, it will become ever-increasingly cheaper.

“The gas industry is an increasingly pernicious influence in government in Qld.”

And given the Qld Government gas commissioner’s reported warnings that gas prices willdouble in two years, said Mr Katter: “So Zurich may have got some sweetheart deal – butwe Australians have got the rough end of the pineapple.

“But the real issue here is that unless the State and Federal governments act to ensure thatthe North West Minerals Province is put on the national grid, then a boardroom in Zurich has decided to rob North West Queensland of 10,000 jobs in half-a-dozen to a dozen mines now placed in jeopardy for lack of grid system power.

“Five per cent of Australian petrol and two per cent of Australian electricity could havecome from – with the government assistance offered – a cheap renewable clean abundantsource.

“But the government must decide that they are running Australia – not the gnomes ofZurich or London or Tokyo or wherever… and that we will decide the destiny and future of our people – not some boardroom 15,000km away in Europe.”