“From July 1 this year, our coal producers have agreed to a voluntary levy of 20c for every tonne of coal sold,” Beattie said.

The move comes after last week’s announcement that the voluntary COAL21 Fund levy on all Australian black coal producers would be expanded, to generate $1 billion over the next decade for clean coal research, development and demonstration projects.

A key component of Queensland’s contribution is $300 million towards the development of a new generation Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power station in the state.

At the meeting today, it was announced that a Clean Coal Council would be established with equal representation from the State Government and industry, in addition to technical experts.

“The council would advise the government on funding priorities, assess projects and make recommendations on funding for the government to consider,” Beattie said.

The council’s first task will be to identify the optimal scale and configuration of the IGCC project.