Royalty bites the dust
Hundreds of industry workers descended on WA State Parliament on 10 October to protest the royalty increase. All images: The Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA. BY ELIZABETH FABRI THE WA Labor Government is licking its wounds after WA Liberals announced it will block its controversial gold royalty increase proposed to fix the State’s finances. Announced back in September in the State Budget, the royalty involved a 50 per cent increase from the current rate of 2.5 per cent to 3.75 per from January next year, when the Australian gold spot price is above $1200. The royalty increase received strong opposition from companies and industry groups such as the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA (CMEWA), which launched a hard-hitting advertising…