Western Victoria Region
Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:54): (589) My question for the Minister for Energy and Resources concerns the unreported new cost imposed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action on the Victorian extractive industry sector. A quarry in my electorate has received a recalculated demand for the rehabilitation bond it must possess to remain operational. Given spiralling inflation in Labor-led Victoria, perhaps that is not surprising, but the increase is mind-bending. Previously $9000, the company must now provide a bond of $11,923,000. That is $11 million more for this single operation. In percentage terms it is a 132,378 per cent increase. It does not get bigger or better than this under Labor. Minister, how many of the 900 work authority bonds will see the same increase? How much money will be extracted by government from the industry in total, and how will this do anything other than trash business?