Bailout figure revealed: Griffin given $19.5 mil.

THE lifeline given to Griffin Coal in December cost the WA Government $19.5 million. The grant was offered to the company’s receivers, Deloitte, who have been operating Griffin since October 2022.

The funds were offered “to stabilise and provide certainty for the workforce and community”. Despite announcing the lifeline in December, the government has been tight lipped about the amount, claiming it was a “commercially confidential matter”.

However, deputy premier Roger Cook revealed the figure in a ministerial statement on the first day of parliament for 2023, on Tuesday.

Mr Cook said the funds have not yet been drawn down.

“While ideally the government would not have to intervene in this way, we will not put the stability of our energy system at risk,” he said.

“It is intended that any funding provided by the government to stabilise Griffin Coal will be recovered from the operations revenue once commercial arrangements are resolved.”

The Member for Collie-Preston, Jodie Hanns, welcomed the lifeline.

“I welcome the support being provided to ensure the stability of the operation and for providing certainty for the Collie workforce and community,” she said.

Mrs Hanns said the government expects Griffin and its receivers to make arrangements to ensure longer term stable operations. “We must do what we can to ensure the supply of coal and not put our energy system at risk,”said Mrs Hanns.

She anticipated that the funding will be used for equipment repairs and contract costs to prepare for winter.

Shadow energy minister Steve Thomas said the government’s inability to manage the state’s energy system was again on display.

“The government has finally had to acknowledge the amount it was forced to make available to Griffin in a desperate measure to ensure the lights stay on,” he said.

“We now know that $19.5 million has been set aside ‘to date’ for a foreign owned company that has already had both receivers and liquidators appointed.”

Mr Thomas said many questions remained on the use of the funding and the triggers for its draw down.

“For a government that promised gold standard transparency, they have kept much of the conditions of this fund a secret,” he said.

“They originally said they would recoup the money; the next day the Premier admitted that was all but impossible, yet the minister for state development has again said it will be recovered.

“The Premier also indicated further bailouts would likely be required.

“Nobody seems to know what’s going on.”

Who owns the Collie river?

OWNERSHIP of the Collie River, and the question of who is responsible for its health were raised at a forum held at Roche Park Recreation Centre last Thursday.

Concern was expressed that the burden of costs to maintain the health of the river was a state issue, and Collie ratepayers should have to shoulder it.

The forum was arranged by GFC Consultants, who are in the process of updating a strategy for the Collie Shire Council, and was attended by council staff and invited stakeholders.

The consultants had met with council staff before the forum, and had done a quick survey of the town.

CAUTION: Dee Eddy, Hayley Eddy and Steve Mullins were concerned when they received suspicious letters last week.