25 Results

Slowing Asian economic growth mean more projects than Olympic Dam are likely to be put on hold, writes Glenn Dyer and Bernard Keane.

Coal magnate Nathan Tinkler is eyeing the biggest deal of his career — a $4 billion takeover of Whitehaven Coal.

A desire to freeze the Australian economy in time is at odds with the wave of economic change being driven by China.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is often seen as coal’s redeeming feature and saviour, and governments have spent millions on it. But if it’s so effective, why did the last budget cut over $600 million from CCS projects? asks Dan Cass.

Creating “certainty” is not the urgent issue for industry many believe. They might not realise it, but the urgency to create certainty rests with consumers, writes Ben Freund, CEO GoSwitch.com.au.

Earlier this year BHP Billiton succeeded in its quest to convert the iron ore market from one based on annual benchmark price negotiations to one where the prices are set by reference to the market. Now it could do something similar to the pricing of coking coal.

It can be argued that ASIC and the ASX are allowing the likes of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto to trade in an uninformed market because of a failure to update the market on quarterly iron ore and coal contract prices.

In a recent NSW court case, climate activist Ned Haughton argued that the NSW Planning Minister didn’t adequately consider the climate impacts of the proposed power stations. John Hepburn gives a quick break down of the arguments.

One thing that stood out in the QLD budget was $864.2 million for coal network track works and new and upgraded locomotives and wagons to support coal haulage across Queensland. John Hepburn explains.

Forget renewable energy or gas: our states are embracing coal-fired power more enthusiastically than ever before.

The Copenhagen summit may be dominating the headlines, but on the stockmarket money is heading towards — and in some cases returning to — coal, writes Tim Treadgold.

Foreign multinationals ramped up their rhetoric yesterday in a desperate attempt to scam further compensation from taxpayers under the CPRS for their coal-fired power generation assets.

Asia’s growth is ensuring the continuation of the Australian mineral boom, but we need to train more workers — since immigration is not popular — and also protect our other industries, argues Tim Colebatch.

Victoria’s 13 billion tonnes of unallocated brown coal are now listed as an eBay item, under the seller name “BrumbyGovt”. Bids are open for the next seven days. The starting price is $1,000,000, writes Greg Foyster.

Queensland’s Surat Basin has the third largest energy resource in the world but farm groups are warning that mining areas risk catastrophic environmental damage to food-producing areas, reports Amanda Gearing.

Crikey readers debate Guy Rundle’s views on the Left. Plus, discrimination debate and the full time mess that is dealing with Centrelink.

Labor’s ETS plan helps individuals not business. The Frontier Economics carbon policy plan is complex but businesses won’t suffer the same economic loss, writes Alan Kohler.

The energy revolution is happening, but Rudd and Swan are still hedging their bets, writes John Hepburn.

Is the mining boom over?

In a macroeconomic environment where the Australian Government is trying to balance excessive demand pressures of the growth States against the subdued performance of the southern States, emissions trading will only make the task harder, writes Ross Fitzgerald.