Research
Use the tools below to access our extensive archive of publications and media content. You can search by category and type.
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Wambo Coal Mine, Hunter Valley - Submission The Wambo Mine - Modification 12 - Southern Longwall Modifications is a proposal to extend an existing coal mine in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales (NSW). The mine is owned by coal producer Peabody Energy. An environmental impact statement (EIS) has been submitted to the Department of Environment and Planning. This submission relates mainly to Appendix K of the EIS, a “Socio-Economic Assessment” written by consultants AnalytEcon. The assessmen... Read More
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Oil in the Great Australian Bight Multinational oil company BP is planning exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the Great Australian Bight. The Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications is conducting an inquiry into the proposal, including into social and economic impacts of potential oil and gas exploration and production.The economic benefits of oil and gas exploration are minimal. Such activities are highly capital intensive, so require relatively few work... Read More
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Oil in the Great Australian Bight Multinational oil company BP is planning exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the Great Australian Bight. The Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications is conducting an inquiry into the proposal, including into social and economic impacts of potential oil and gas exploration and production.The economic benefits of oil and gas exploration are minimal. Such activities are highly capital intensive, so require relatively few work... Read More
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Oil in the Great Australian Bight Multinational oil company BP is planning exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the Great Australian Bight. The Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications is conducting an inquiry into the proposal, including into social and economic impacts of potential oil and gas exploration and production.The economic benefits of oil and gas exploration are minimal. Such activities are highly capital intensive, so require relatively few work... Read More
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Submission to Wilpinjong Extension Project inquiry The economic assessment of the Wilpinjong mine heavily overstates the value of the project. This is easily seen by comparing the estimate of the project’s net present value, AUD$735 million, with the total stockmarket value of the proponent, only $114 million.The key flaw in the economic assessment is unrealistic production costs. The assessment assumes the current mine can produce coal for an average per tonne cost of AUD$26. At current exchange... Read More
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Rix’s Creek Extension Project: Submission The economic assessment of the Rix’s Creek Extension Project, written by consultants KPMG, heavily overstates the benefits of the project while largely ignoring potential costs.Key flaws are:High coal prices.Unorthodox treatment of wages.Assumption that most external costs are fully offset or mitigated, with no consideration of risk around these impacts.Minimal detail provided on economic impact assessment.
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Draft guidelines for economic assessment of mining and coal seam gas proposals Economic assessment has been at the centre of controversial planning decisions on mining and coal seam gas projects in New South Wales (NSW) for several years. The Australia Institute welcomes the efforts of the NSW Government and NSW Department of Planning and Environment to improve the standard of economic assessment.
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Bylong Coal Project - Submission on Environmental Impact The Australia Institute has made a submission on the Environmental Impact Statement of the Bylong Coal Project, a proposed new thermal coal mine located south of the Hunter Valley in NSW. The economic assessment of the Bylong Coal Project is not suitable for decision making purposes. It lacks transparency, is based on flawed methodologies and contains serious errors. The economic assessment is based on a coal price of approximately $A... Read More
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Terminal 4 Planning Assessment Commission determination meeting The Australia Institute is opposed to the Terminal 4 project. For the project’s capacity to be utilised an increase in the rate of coal extraction in NSW is required beyond the continuation and replacement of existing mines. Such increases are unlikely to be in the public interest given the social and environmental impacts of current mines and their impacts on other industries. Extracting and transporting a further 70 million tonnes per annum (Mt... Read More
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Airly Coal Mine project: Submission to Planning Assessment Commission The Airly Coal Mine project is a small, underground mine in the Capertee Valley, north of Lithgow, NSW. It is currently being assessed by the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC). The economic assessment of the project is highly unreliable and its conclusion that the project would provide economic net benefit to the state has no robust analysis to support it. Given the project’s environmental and social impacts are likely to be negative, it i... Read More