Industry survey: Carbon tax would endanger mining jobs
Thousands of mining jobs in New South Wales and Queensland are likely to feel the pressure of the federal government's proposed carbon tax, according to a new survey released on Tuesday by the Australian Coal Association (ACA).
The coal industry group said that based on gleaned data from some 82 coal mining sites in Australia, the planned carbon tax will negatively impact as many as 4000 employments, specifically in NSW and Queensland.
The group said that possible dire effects will disturb the mining operations of the two states, with the mining region of Hunter Valley poised to absorb most of the impacts, as the tax gets implemented on its first three years.
That region alone stands to lose up to 3000 jobs with the tax measure in effect, according to ACA executive director Ralph Hillman, who told ABC that "most of the impact of this tax does fall on New South Wales."
The spectre of another tax burden worries mining operators in the Hunter and Illawarra regions, said Hillman, who added that resources firms are expected to shut down their businesses within the initial decade of implementing the carbon emission tax.
ACA explained that this is because mining sites in NSW are most cost extensive as compared to Queensland due to the nature and depths of works though the actual figures, according to the coal industry group, differ from one mine into another.
Within the same period and as the carbon tax rolls into full implementation, ACA said that the survey it conducted pointed to the possibility that as many as 18 mining sites across the country will fold up, directly due to the burden created by proposed tax.
Hillman said that the figures his group has gathered signal significant indicators that need attention from the national government and stake holders of the mining industry, as he insisted that the assessment was based wholly "on factual data, mine by mine."
He added that the survey was commissioned by his group not to instigate a scare campaign as he assured that the facts and data they presented were based on "macro-economic modelling exercise ... and real accountants approach."