green fields inquiry-vic government-exergen, page-10

I can't figure it out. What are Exergen and the Vic Gov going to tell Tata and the other Indian Elec Co's when they meet for their "Super Trade Mission" meetings in late Feb where they hope to promote export projects between Vic and India. Do they intend on just exporting technology? Sorry guys, we can sell you the tech but we have no access to brown coal to honour our previously negotiated offtake agreements. We have lobbied the Gov for some allocation in the LV with no success to date and even if we do get some allocation it will be years and years before we can get it to port. Sounds like it could get embarassing for these guys. Anybody got any thoughts on a possible alternative for them to save face.

IMO Jack Hamilton gives the impression he may have an alternative in his statement to the greenfields inquiry below when questioned about the Mantle Mining Bacchus Marsh project -

"Obviously from an Exergen perspective we do look at it, it does have some advantages in the logistic infrastructure — the Melbourne – Ballarat railway line runs over the tenement so that gives you rail access to Port of Geelong as effectively there is no rail access out of Latrobe Valley of any sort of capacity. My competitors do tell me you can do rail access but I just make the comment: let me know when the first coal train is going through, I’ll stand at Federation Square and watch it go through Flinders Street. It will probably be the last coal train through Flinders Street."

B Rubes