The Mirror
Wednesday 6/9/2006, Page: 6
MEMBERS of the community climate change action group Friends of Future Generations are calling on the Federal Government to consider wind energy for the sake of the environment.
Representatives of the group recently returned from a meeting in Canberra with the Federal Environment Minister, Senator lan Campbell, angry at the government's rejection of wind energy.
"Our group is made up of everyday people who want to see positive environmental choices being made now, for the sake of future generations of Australians," said Yvonne Wenham from Friends of Future Generations, South Australia.
"Australia is the highest polluting nation in the world, per head of population, bar none. That is a disgraceful situation which can't be allowed to continue. We must take action to cut our pollution levels now and wind energy is one of the few ways we can do that.
"The Minister confirmed that 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."
Ms Wenham claimed the wind energy industry was being strangled by delays.
"The Environment 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 anti-wind farm concern," she said.
"The government is focusing its attention solely on so-called clean coal and nuclear power. Those technologies are 15 years away at best and their costs are uncertain."
Ms Wenham said that the only time the Minister mentioned wind energy was when he was siding with anti-wind activists.
It appears to us Minister Campbell is using wind farm opponents' claims to promote and justify the government's inaction," she said.
Blair Donaldson of Foster, a member of the local branch of Friends of Future Generations, said he was disappointed that Senator Campbell did not appear to want to listen to alternative points of view.
He said that he and other members of Friends of Future Generations would have appreciated the opportunity to make their support for wind farms known when the Minister visited Foster North recently, but the Minister appeared willing to meet only those people who opposed the construction of Dollar Wind Farm.
Mr Donaldson said he was also disappointed that the Shire of South Gippsland was taking such a partisan approach to the wind farm issue. "Council has been one-sided from the start, but it should be representing the views of all ratepayers, not a sectional interest," he said.
Ms Wenham said that Senator Campbell had refused to meet with Friends of Future Generations in Canberra if there was a pro-wind community member from South Gippsland or Denmark, Western Australia [another area earmarked for wind farms] amongst the deputation.
"Frankly, we expect more from our elected representatives," she said.
"We originally sought this [Canberra] 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."
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