The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has confirmed the government is prepared to compensate the states for costs incurred as part of a looming regulatory intervention intended to reduce power prices during the first six months of 2023.
Any compensation would be conditional on the states imposing a temporary cap on coal prices, and Chalmers warned the financial support on offer will not be a “blank cheque”. The treasurer told the ABC on Tuesday “there’s not a bottomless pit of commonwealth cash to direct to the task”.