Despite the lack of precise costing of the controversial Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project, the Prime Minister has thrown his support behind Queensland Labor’s Jobs and Energy Plan, of which the pumped hydro scheme is centrepiece of.
Federal Member for Capricornia and fierce advocate for the Eungella community, Michelle Landry, has said the Prime Minister is selling out the picturesque region of Eungella, which is affectionately known as the Platypus Capital, for his government’s ideological and short-sighted energy plan.
“It’s remarkable that the Prime Minister is ready to support a project expected to become the world’s largest, despite the lack of clarity on its complete cost to taxpayers and its potential environmental and social impacts on the Eungella locals.
“With the estimated cost already blown out from $12 billion to $18 billion in under two years, it begs the question of just how costly this overly ambitious project will be. Yet, come October, the Premier expects Queenslanders to vote for a project with the details shrouded in mystery.
“Prime Minister Albanese is backing a project two and a half times larger than Snowy 2.0, which has seen its own ongoing cost blowouts and extensive delays. He is putting his trust in a government who has seen enormous cost blowouts and completion delays on basic infrastructure projects,” Ms Landry said.
LNP Candidate for Mirani Glen Kelly said Labor needs to tell Queenslanders how much the Pioneer-Burdekin hydro project will cost and how much their energy bills will rise to cover Labor’s blowouts.
“We’ve seen reports that the project has already blown out from $12 billion to an extraordinary $18 billion, well how much will families be paying on their energy bills to cover that blow out?” Mr Kelly said.
“We only need to look at the failings of Labor’s decade in power. The Queensland health, crime, housing, and cost of living crises have all gotten worse. These are bread-and-butter state government responsibilities, and the Palaszczuk-Miles Government is just not up to it.
“If Labor can’t get the basics right, how can our community trust them to manage a project like the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro?”
