WESTERN Australia has only been promised 1.8 percent of funding towards the National Clean Coal Fund.

This is despite housing 10 percent of the national population.

Capel MLA and Shadow Environment Minister Steve Thomas said more emphasis was needed by the Federal Government. Dr Thomas said the $500 million fund already had $275 million committed, but only $5 million specifically in WA.

However Collie-Wellington MLA Mick Murray said work into developing clean coal technology was already well underway. Mr Murray said while only $5 million had been budgeted for research into clean coal, $10 million had gone towards research by the Coal Futures Group, of which he was a member.

He said a lot of research had been done into the possibility of geosequestration in the Harvey Ridge area, and trials on spontaneous combustion would make Collie coal much safer to export.

He said results of gasification trials were being waited on to indicate how well Collie coal would turn into gas.

“Early indications are very successful,” he said. Mr Murray said $60 million would be made available for extensions to the Bunbury Port if a longterm export contract was successful.

There are plans to visit two interstate projects to view new technology.

“I am pleased to say the Rudd Federal Labor government hasn’t rushed headfirst into carbon trading and is listening to what is said at the world conference on climate change in Bali before making a decision about future carbon trading,” Mr Murray said.

“It is something I applaud strongly.”

Dr Thomas said the populous eastern states all fared much better than WA, according to the Labor fact sheet on the National Clean Coal Initiative.

“Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria were each rewarded with $50 million projects, compared to Western Australia’s $5 million,” he said.

“Although Labor will argue we might share in the results in the remaining national research program, there is no guarantee that any more money will make it to WA.”