Chapple calls for royalties lift across the board

The WA Greens have called on royalties to be increased across the board as the State Government faces mounting pressure from the gold mining industry over the royalty hike announced in the State Budget.

The Government announced an increase to the gold royalty rate from 2.5 to 3.75 per cent, but Greens Member for Mining and Pastoral Robin Chapple said the measure did not go far enough.

“The gold industry has been unfairly targeted by the McGowan Government, despite other players — iron ore in particular — pulling in super profits that the people of Western Australia are not getting a fair return on,” he said.

Mr Chapple also criticised the signing of another State agreement act.

“State agreement acts have been a disaster in practice for the State in its ability to regulate certain players in the industry,” he said.

“They are anti-competitive and they mean that those players who are lucky enough to have signed onto one with the Government of Western Australia have a right to veto any changes to their mining conditions, including royalty rate increases.”

Mr Wyatt said gold had historically delivered less value to State than other resources.

“Iron ore has a royalty rate of 7.5 per cent, gold has a royalty rate of 2.5 per cent,” he said.

“I think it is only fair for West Australians, who own that resource, to get a small increase, particulalry at a time when gold is at record prices and is expected to stay at record prices for a few years

Mr Wyatt said the gold industry had been dramatic in its rhetoric.