Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

The government is not funding a new coal-fired power station. The government committed $10 million at the last election to address supply and affordability issues for energy-intensive and trade-exposed customers in North and Central Queensland. There are industries like aluminium smelting, refining, cement, sugar and copper processing that all rely on low-cost and reliable energy, employing tens of thousands of Queenslanders. Part of that commitment was to fund a number of feasibility studies for new generation projects to ensure that these projects stack up and make commercial sense. We won't stand in the way of private sector investment, but the investment the government is making is in relation to those feasibility studies as committed to at the election.