Labor and the unions call for the Feds to save their failing Collie transition

The Shadow Minister for Energy and local MP Dr Steve Thomas said that today’s call by the Labor Party and unions for the Federal Government to put money into Collie is yet another admission that their own state transition plan for Collie is failing.

“There is no doubt now that the State Government transition plan for Collie is failing” Dr Thomas said.

“The proof is in the very words of the unions and the local Member Jodie Hanns who have been forced to call for federal intervention to save the floundering state plan.

“It is surely now obvious to everybody that the State Government plan for Collie is falling apart.

“In 2022 the McGowan announced its first version of the Collie Transition Plan with a budget of $547.4 million, and since then the price tag has gone up to almost $700 million.

“What has not gone up however is employment is Collie, with just as over a hundred contractors losing their jobs recently at Premier Coal.

“The hundreds of millions of dollars spent so far by the State Government in its own attempt at transition has at best replaced those one hundred lost jobs, but at a cost of over a million dollars each.

“At this rate it will take nearly $2 billion to replace the coal and power stations jobs that will be lost over the next few years.

Dr Thomas said however that he would be happy to see federal investment to save the troubled State transition plan.

“If the State Government can cost shift some of the disaster of its mismanagement of the coalfields to the Federal Government we should welcome that” Dr Thomas said.

“I am not sure however that even the Albanese Government will fall for that one.”