The Queensland state energy minister, Mick de Brenni, has told a court hearing he was not made aware of concerns that safety issues at the Callide power station posed a “catastrophic risk” prior to the 2021 unit explosion that caused statewide blackouts.
On the third day of the formal state election campaign, de Brenni fronted the federal court where he was grilled about his knowledge of funding difficulties, maintenance backlogs and safety concerns at the plant, near the town of Biloela in central Queensland.
