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Subscriber only A fund manager who campaigned against Labor s franking credits in 2018 has joined a grassroots fight against Noosa Council s climate strategy. ASX-listed Wilson Asset management chairman Geoff Wilson worries the values and insurance costs of his and other Sunshine Beach properties will be hit under proposals in the Coastal Hazard Adaptation Plan. Noosa is one of 32 councils in Queensland developing an adaptation plan to propose ways to mitigate damages from climate change as part of the state s QCoast 2100 program. Mr Wilson said the proposal lacked detail and was based on worst-case scenario mapping. Along with an increasing number of locals I am concerned the council has pre-empted its proposed plans with costly and harmful planning restrictions on people s homes while doing nothing to help the local environment, Mr Wilson said.
Liberty Mutual Weighing Options, Delays Australian Coal Mine Project
MELBOURNE U.S. insurer Liberty Mutual will not be filing an environmental impact assessment for a coal project in Australia, it said on Friday, missing a deadline as it weighs alternatives for the proposed mine.
Community groups worried about pollution and climate change have been pushing the company to scrap the project, which is expected to produce 5 million tonnes per year of a type of coal mostly used in steel-making but also suitable for power plants.
“As part of our investment processes, we’ve been evaluating alternatives for our Baralaba investment for some time and will not be submitting an environmental impact assessment for the South Mine at this stage,” a Liberty Mutual spokeswoman said.
Australia stands ready to take back two key ports from Chinese investors if any security concerns are raised, Scott Morrison said.
The Port of Newcastle, the world s biggest coal port, was handed over to a Chinese-backed consortium for 98 years for $1.75 billion when Mike Baird was NSW Premier in 2014.
And Darwin Port is run by Chinese company Landbridge Group, which secured a 99-year lease from the Northern Territory government in 2015 for just $506 million.
In November 2015, the Northern Territory government decided to lease the Port of Darwin (pictured) to a Chinese company for 99 years
Pressure is mounting on the federal government to take back key infrastructure from Chinese control as relations with Beijing hit a new low.
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Win for our Reef as Clive Palmer-owned coal mine deemed ‘not suitable’
The Queensland government has made the right decision for the Great Barrier Reef, the climate and local communities by deeming a proposed Clive Palmer-owned coal mine just 10km from the World Heritage area as ‘not suitable’, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) said.
Their assessment, released today, shows the Department of Environment and Science has listened to advice from expert scientists and the wishes of the community to reject the mine and protect our Reef from dangerous climate change and pollution.
The Department cited “a number of significant risks, due to its location, particularly its proximity to important environmental values, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area” in its assessment that the project should not receive environmental approval.
Pressure is mounting on the federal government to take back key national assets from Chinese control amid fears the communist superpower could disrupt our crucial infrastructure using advanced cyber attacks.
Two of Australia s most important harbours - Darwin Port and the Port of Newcastle - were leased to Chinese companies as state governments cashed in on lucrative private investment.
The Port of Newcastle, the world s biggest coal port, was handed over to a Chinese-backed consortium for 98 years for $1.75 billion when Mike Baird was NSW Premier in 2014.
The decision means the port is half controlled by Aussie company Gardior and half by China Merchants Port Holdings Company until 2112.