Taxpayer Funded Net Zero Commission Must Be Abolished

NSW mining’s peak industry body, the NSW Minerals Council is calling for the abolition of the taxpayer funded Net Zero Commission.

As almost 500 mining representatives gather in the Hunter for the annual NSW Mining Health, Safety, Environment and Community conference today, the NSW Minerals Council has called on the NSW Government to disband the Net Zero Commission, describing the body as a five million dollar taxpayer funded anti-mining activist outfit masquerading as a government agency.

The call comes following the Net Zero Commission’s direct opposition to the Hunter Valley Operations Continuation Project where 1,500 direct mining jobs and thousands more indirect mining-related jobs are at stake.

The Net Zero Commission was established by the NSW Government in 2023 to provide independent, expert advice on the Government’s approach to meeting emissions reductions targets. It has an annual taxpayer-funded budget of nearly $5 million and around 30 staff.

The Net Zero Commission quickly became a taxpayer funded anti-coal mining activist group, opposing mining projects and openly criticising the NSW Government’s own Coal Strategy, despite the coal mining sector contributing just 13 percent of NSW emissions.

In its very first Annual Report in 2024, the Net Zero Commission singled out coal mining as being a risk to the state’s emissions reduction targets, despite coal mining emissions falling faster than the state average and on track to meet legislated emissions reduction targets.

“Analysis of the latest available data shows coal mining contributes just thirteen percent of NSW emissions, with coal emissions actually falling faster than the state average, and almost entirely covered by Commonwealth emissions reduction legislation too,” NSW Minerals Council CEO, Stephen Galilee said today.

“Despite this, since its inception the Net Zero Commission has been obsessed with attacking the NSW coal sector, regardless of the impact on the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of miners and their families,” he said.

This has included the public release of a further report on coal emissions that called for the industry to be shut down, and recent public opposition to individual coal extension applications in the NSW planning system

The Net Zero Commission is staffed by employees with a history of engaging in environmental activism.  Many have a prior history of activism against coal, including previous public opposition to NSW coal projects, participation in fundraising and training for environmental groups, as well as prior employment in anti-mining organisations like Greenpeace, the Climate Council, the Nature Conservation Council, the Greens, and the Environmental Defenders Office.

Most recently, the Net Zero Commission openly opposed the Hunter Valley Operations Continuation Project.

In an hour-and-a-half long meeting with the Independent Planning Commission, the Net Zero Commission campaigned against the HVO project, despite the project committing to reduce its net emissions in line with the NSW Government’s emission reduction trajectory.

The Net Zero Commission’s opposition to the HVO Continuation project puts 1500 direct jobs at risk and thousands more in the 750 small businesses that supply the HVO mine.

“If the Net Zero Commission’s advice were to be followed, 25,000 coal mining jobs would be lost in the years ahead, and our state would lose billions in spending and taxes, and its most valuable export commodity. At least 8,000 mining jobs would be lost over the next five years alone, including the jobs of 1,500 people at the ‘HVO’ coal mine in the Hunter Valley. “ Mr Galilee said.

“Hunter Valley coal miners and their families in particular should be very concerned about the actions of the Net Zero Commission which is directly campaigning to put them out of work.”

“The Net Zero Commission’s direct opposition to the HVO Project proves once and for all it is a taxpayer-funded activist group masquerading as a government agency, threatening thousands of coal mining jobs.”

“Enough is enough.  Instead of giving the Net Zero Commission millions each year to campaign for mining jobs to be abolished, the NSW Government should abolish the Net Zero Commission.”