Govt. criticised over wind energy policy

South Eastern Times
24/08/2006 Page: 2

Members of a community climate change action group recently returned from a meeting in Canberra with the Federal Environment Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, angry at the government's rejection of wind energy.

Yvonne Wenham, from Friends of Future Generations, South Australia, said the minister confirmed his government has no interest in extending the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme, or carbon trading, and that effectively means the end of wind energy in Australia.

'The minister boasts about how many wind farms he has approved in the last couple of weeks, but without market mechanisms we all know they will not go ahead," she said.

"The minister is using any number of delaying tactics to slowly strangle the wind energy industry, from false fears about the Orange-bellied Parrot to dubious claims about antiwind farm concern.

'The government is focussing its attention solely on so-called clean coal and nuclear power. Those technologies are 15 years away at best and their costs are uncertain. A market mechanism must be maintained for wind power at a minimum until then.

'The only time Minister Campbell mentions wind energy is when he is siding with anti-wind activists. It appears to us he is using wind farm opponents' claims to promote and justify the government's inaction. He recently visited the site of a proposed wind farm in Victoria, and only spoke to people who oppose its construction.

"We know of dozens of people in that same community who actively welcome the wind farm, but the minister won't listen to them," she said.

The Friends of Future Generations is a pro-active lobbying group, made up of everyday people who want to see positive environmental choices being made now, for the sake of future generations of Australians.

"Australia is the highest polluting nation in the world, per head of population. That is a disgraceful situation which can't be allowed to continue," said Ms Wenham.

"Australia must take action to cut our pollution levels now. Wind energy is one of the few ways we can do that. We originally sought this meeting with the Environment Minister last December because he seemed to be unaware that Australians want to see action, not just words on tackling climate change," said Ms Wenham.

'In the meantime, the minister refused to meet us if we had a pro-wind community member from South Gippsland (near Bald Hills) and Denmark, in Western Australia, among our group. Frankly, we expect more from our elected representatives."