WA counts carbon cost
MOVES by the federal government to put a price on carbon emissions would cost the West Australian economy at least $7.5 billion in the first four years of any scheme, driving electricity prices sharply higher, says the state government.
However, Federal Greens deputy leader Christine Milne said the "back-of-the-envelope" figures showed how small the impact of a carbon price would be, The Australian Financial Review reports.
"These numbers pale in comparison to the impact of the rising dollar or extreme weather damaging the season's crops," she said.
"WA agricultural production is worth $8 billion a year, not counting all the lives, livelihoods and communities it supports."
