Revealed: The Australia Institute’s campaign against 7,000 NSW jobs

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Anti-jobs blitz targets nearly 4,000 jobs in Hunter alone

It has been revealed that the activist group, The Australia Institute, has directly campaigned against a total of over 7,000 existing and proposed mining jobs in NSW in 2014 alone.

“Since the beginning of the year, The Australia Institute has lodged submissions with the Department of Planning against 10 mining projects in NSW. Collectively these projects currently provide jobs for around 3,000 people, and could provide up to 4,000 additional people with new jobs if approved,” NSW Minerals Council CEO, Stephen Galilee said today.

“From their headquarters in Canberra, Australia Institute representatives have travelled across the state this year to campaign against jobs, including in the Hunter, New England North West, and the Central West.”

The Hunter region has been particularly targeted by this anti-jobs campaign.

“At a time of increasing unemployment in the Hunter, the Australia Institute has specifically targeted Hunter jobs, arguing against 2300 existing jobs and 1500 potential jobs.”

“The ‘reports’ and submissions produced by the Australia Institute in support of their anti-jobs agenda have been dismissed by respected economists, including the former head of ABARE, Dr Brian Fisher; former NSW Treasury Secretary, Michael Schur and respected economist Henry Ergas.”  

“What makes the Australia Institute’s anti-jobs campaign even worse is that is has been largely based on dodgy economics. Just last week the Australia Institute admitted that its submissions on at least four projects included major errors. These projects collectively employ around 1700 people.

‘The Australia Institute should apologise to these people and the thousands more across NSW whose jobs they want to cut,” Mr Galilee said.

Contact:

Chris Rath