"What company willingly knock back higher profits, to provide a social service?"
I worked in the Australian investment management industry until a few years ago.
I still have in my office, about 9 or 10 draft prospectuses dated between 2005 and 2012, from companies looking to raise capital to explore for, and develop, gas on the east coast of Australia - specifically for domestic consumption.
Many investment institutions stood ready at the time to fund the development of additional gas supply on Australia's east coast.
But the available funding was never called up because none of those companies could obtain permission to drill.
