An attempt by NSW National and Liberal MPs to run a campaign against the ACT Government on wind farms has spectacularly backfired with the revelation that the NSW Government’s own Planning and Environment Departments websites lists the ACT region as a “Renewable Energy Precinct” – an initiative aimed at attracting wind farm investment to the region.
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“This week we have seen the spectacle of Nationals and Liberals Members, John Barilaro, Katrina Hodgkinson, Pru Goward and Angus Taylor standing on Red Hill in Canberra to attack the ACT Government over its plan to source 90% of the Territory’s power from renewable energy,” said Queanbeyan-based Shadow Minister for Resources, Steve Whan.
“In a bizarre bit of politically partisan theatre these coalition MPs decided to attack the customer instead of the actual approval authority – the NSW Government – or the proponents.
“The cheap and dishonest nature of their theatrical performance is now revealed by their own Government website.
“Federal MP Angus Taylor’s loud comments about the ACT Government’s ‘map’, in fact look pretty silly when you note that the NSW Planning web site has the same map.*
“Pru Goward, Katrina Hodgkinson and John Barilaro are all part of the NSW Coalition Government which still lists on its websites the ‘renewable energy precincts’ initiative – a program designed to encourage wind farm development in the capital region.**
“The hypocrisy from these Nationals and Liberals MPs is breathtaking and is an obvious attempt to leap on some NIMBY bandwagon, while being too politically gutless to criticise their own Government – who is actually directly responsible.
“I’ve seen a lot of political attacks on planning authorities over the years and many on the proponents of these projects but this is the first time I have seen anyone attack the customers.
“I’ve always said wind farms are like any other industrial development, there are right and wrong places and they do require careful planning consideration. But electricity supply is critical to our State’s residents and businesses and we can’t always expect it to be generated ‘somewhere else’.
“The NSW Nationals and Liberals now oppose wind farms, solar feed in tariffs, gas-fired power stations and going back in history they even opposed the Snowy Hydro Scheme. We have to get our power from somewhere.”
*http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Portals/0/Images/NSW_Wind_Map.pdf
**http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/en-us/policyandlegislation/renewableenergy.aspx
