Dr. Thomas questions the State Development Minister regarding the $260 million bailout of Griffin Coal, focusing on grant allocation, extension possibilities, worker retention bonuses, and the total cost to taxpayers. The Minister provides limited details on grant allocation and confirms the end date for support and the estimated cost of retention payments.

AnsweredQoN 39Legislative Assembly
Asked
10 April 2025
Portfolio
State Development

QuestionView source ↗

Griffin Coal—Grant
39. Hon Dr Steve Thomas to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for State
Development :
I refer to my
question without notice 25 asked yesterday and the Cook government's
extraordinary $260 million taxpayer-funded bailout of the insolvent and
foreign-owned Griffin Coal.
(1) How much of the $161.4 million in grants
received by the receivers and managers of Griffin Coal has been used to pay the
fees and costs of the receivers and managers?
(2) Will the grants end at 30 June 2026 as
previously advised or is the government expecting to extend them beyond that
date?
(3) What retention bonuses are being offered to
Griffin workers in the retention package through to 30 June 2026 as per the
minister's answer yesterday?
(4) Given that the bailout grants are currently
budgeted to end at the same time as the retention bonuses—that is, 30
June 2026—what will be the total cost to Western Australian taxpayers
of the package obviously designed to stop Griffin workers from jumping ship
from an obviously already sinking corporate ship?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) The funding is not allocated to specific
purposes but is provided to cover any overall shortfall between the mine's
revenue and costs of production.
(2) The state government's support is committed
until June 2026.
(3) Workers will be eligible for up to $30,000
each in retention payments.
(4) The retention payments are estimated to cost
approximately $8 million.

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