In the old Chinese proverb, the frog in the well thinks he knows everything about the world, based on the little patch of sky he can see. The view from the bottom of an open-cut coalmine might be a little wider than that of a well, but NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee’s discussion of the role of mining royalties in NSW is just as narrow (‘‘Time for coal cash to fill some of the holes’’, Herald, 20/1).
Related documents
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.
You might also like
Coal royalties are a tiny part of the NSW Budget
The people of Australia collectively own all the resources under the ground. This means that the coal in NSW is the property of the Australian people too. Because of this, mining companies have to pay the NSW Government a “royalty” if they want to dig up and sell coal. Royalties are not taxes. They are
Coal royalties a tiny part of NSW Budget
Coal royalties do little to fund schools, hospitals, teachers or nurses, despite frequent claims to the contrary from politicians and the mining industry, new research from The Australia Institute has found.
Why Queensland is Miles ahead of the game
Canberra doesn’t really have a fossil fuel industry, which perhaps explains why we lead the country in decarbonising our economy.