Queensland’s strength comes from our resources sector, and our job is to give workers, communities and investors the certainty they deserve.
Coal has powered Queensland’s prosperity for generations and it remains a critical part of our energy mix today, underpinning reliable, affordable electricity and thousands of regional jobs.
From the Bowen Basin to the Galilee, the hard work of our mining communities keeps Queensland running.
Our Energy Roadmap makes that clear: coal remains part of Queensland’s generation mix for decades to come, backed by economics and engineering, not ideology.
Labor’s arbitrary plan to close Queensland coal units by 2035 is gone. In its place is a pragmatic framework that runs state-owned coal assets to their technical lives, with decisions guided by system need, asset integrity and economic viability.
We’re also investing in keeping the fleet strong. Our $1.6 billion Electricity Maintenance Guarantee lifts the reliability of the generation we have while we build what we need.
Keeping the lights on takes planning and reliability, which is why we’re advancing a tender for 400MW of new gas-fired generation in Central Queensland to back up the system when it’s needed most.
This is what a balanced transition looks like: leveraging our strengths, protecting jobs, and keeping prices down.
At the same time, the Crisafulli Government is restoring confidence across the resources sector and backing the industrial backbone that supports mining communities.
Together with the Federal Government, we’re investing $400 million over the next two years in Glencore’s Mount Isa Copper Smelter and Townsville Refinery, with a further $200 million subject to review, securing more than 600 direct jobs and a further 500 at Phosphate Hill, and anchoring critical processing capacity in the North West. A transformation study will map a long-term pathway for the region’s industrial base, delivering the kind of certainty regional Queensland deserves.
Since forming government, we’ve focused on decisions that restore confidence. In just 12 months we have renewed 11 coal mining leases, equal to 44% of the approvals the previous government delivered over an entire term, and we’ve stood up the Resources Cabinet Committee to cut red tape and accelerate clear, predictable approvals.
Queensland’s future depends on a strong resources sector built on a mix of gas, coal, metals and critical minerals.
Our message is clear – Queensland is open for business. We’re backing the workers, communities and companies who power our state and drive our future.
Hon Dale Last MP
Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Senator for QLD
