MELBOURNE, June 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Queensland has just done global proponents of windfall taxes a favour.
More than a third of the total came courtesy of three new tiers Treasurer Cameron Dick added to the levy last June after coal prices quickly quadrupled.
For starters, the changes only come into effect when the price of coal is really high.
Rival Whitehaven Coal’s (WHC.AX) top line grew 164% and net profit more than 400% over a similar timeframe when the coal price was close to $400 a tonne.
Dick earmarked the extra fossil-fuel revenue to pay for new hospitals and a slew of renewable energy and water projects.
Persons:
Australia’s, Cameron Dick, Dick, Una Galani, Thomas Shum
Organizations:
MELBOURNE, Reuters, Revenue, Whitehaven, Queensland, Thomson
Locations:
Queensland, Hope, New South Wales, South Wales