Back

Coal breakdowns cost too much: Farmers ask "who's going to pay for it?"

Farmers for Climate Action

Friday 15 May 2026

Farmers for Climate Action has questioned the economic logic and practicality of the Coalition’s proposal to extend the life of ageing coal fired power stations and fast-track new oil and gas projects, warning rural Australians risk being sold a costly and unreliable energy plan.

FCA said the reality is simple: Australia’s coal fleet is old, increasingly unreliable, and already being closed by the companies that own it because the economics no longer stack up.

“Farmers know what happens when machinery gets too old. You spend more time fixing breakdowns than getting work done. It’s just not practical to continue to flog old clunkers as your main workhorse forever” said FCA Acting CEO, Verity Morgan-Schmidt.

“Trying to keep old coal fired power stations running is like trying to put in a crop with an old Massey Ferguson that keeps breaking down. It’s not efficient and it’s not practical.

“The big question Australians should be asking is: who’s going to pay for it?" Ms Morgan-Schmidt said.

“Who pays for the coal breakdowns? Who pays for the increasing maintenance bills? Who pays when ageing infrastructure fails in the middle of peak demand?

“The answer is households, businesses and regional communities.

“The world is moving on. Energy systems are changing because the numbers have changed." Ms Morgan-Schmidt said.

“You cannot build a serious plan for Australia’s future around ageing infrastructure that is increasingly unreliable and increasingly expensive to maintain.

“The most reliable and affordable way forward is a mix of clean energy, including storage such as batteries and pumped hydro.” 

End

Contact details:

Cam Klose 0490 436 948 [email protected]