Griffin Coal—State agreement
195. Hon Dr Steve Thomas to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for State Development:
I refer to the Collie Coal (Griffin) Agreement Amendment Bill 2024, which was given royal assent on 17 September 2024 and allowed for an extension of Griffin Coal's mining activity until 30 June 2026.
(1) Has Griffin Coal formally requested a 12-month extension to its applicable state agreement to 30 June 2026 and, if so, on what date was the request made to government, and by whom?(2) In relation to the extension of the Griffin Coal state agreement to 30 June 2026, has the minister or ministerial or departmental representatives engaged with or negotiated with parties from ICICI Bank or Oceania Resources, or Mr Dev Sindhu?(3) What data, mining plans, "fair pricing for coal " proposals and mine rehabilitation have Griffin Coal or the parties in (2) provided to the minister or his representatives in relation to the state agreement extension to 30 June 2026?(4) Has the minister agreed to a 12-month extension to the Collie Coal (Griffin) state agreement?(5) Does the government anticipate that Griffin Coal will exist after 30 June 2026 and, if so, what is the government's plan for it post that date?Hon Stephen Dawson replied:
It is not even Thursday! I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) Pursuant to clause 11A(4) of the state agreement, the Griffin Coal Mining Company Pty Ltd provided an additional proposal for the period 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 to the minister on 17 April 2025.(2) The Department of the Premier and Cabinet has ongoing engagement with ICICI Bank as the lead bank for the secured creditors to Griffin Coal. None of the listed parties were involved in negotiations regarding the extension of the state agreement. (3) The required content of an additional proposal is outlined in clause 7 of the state agreement. These requirements do not include information regarding Griffin's commercial strategy, but high-level mining and rehabilitation plans are contemplated in these proposals.(4) The minister approved Griffin Coal Mining Company's additional proposal for the period 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 on 19 May 2025.(5) Continuation beyond 30 June 2026 will need to be industry-led on a commercially sustainable basis without ongoing Western Australian government funding and underpinned by Griffin Coal's customers paying a fair price for coal. If this is not achievable, coal mining operations may cease.