Greenpeace backs state's wind farms

Yarram Standard News
23/08/2006 Page: 5

THE Liberal Party's decision to scrap Victoria's new renewable energy target if elected will lose the state over a billion in investment and cost hundreds of jobs, says Greenpeace.

The environmental campaigners claim the Victorian Renewable Energy target (VRET) has thrown a life-line to renewable energy industries in the state.

Without a state target for renewable energy Victoria stood to lose billions of dollars worth of investment, mainly due to the Federal Government's failure to increase the national renewable energy target (MRET), Greenpeace believes.

State Opposition leader Ted Baillieu's decision to axe VRET was made shortly before the announcement of a new $380 million wind farm at Mount Gellibrand near Colac, which will be the largest in Australia.

Without the VRET renewable energy projects like Mt Gellibrand will not happen, said Mark Wakeham, Greenpeace energy campaigner. "The Mount Gellibrand wind farm is an encouraging development for those concerned about climate change," he said.

"It's exactly the sort of project we need in order to make the shift away from polluting brown coal. However, if the Liberals are elected in the November state election it's unlikely to go ahead.

"Why would Mr Baillieu want to prevent nearly $400 million worth of investment and 25 fulltime jobs for the Colac region? If the Liberals don't support the state renewable energy target, what are they going to do about climate change? As yet we've heard nothing but spoiling from them on the issue.

In South Australia wind power now generates 15 per cent of the state's electricity and not a single megawatt of additional back-up generation has needed to be built.

And by contrast, in South Australia the state Liberal Party has welcomed wind power, recognising its proven record of providing drought-proof income for regional communities."

Over the past five years wind power has been the world's second fastest growing form of electricity generation with growth rates of 28 per cent per year, after solar power growing at 60 per cent annually.

The renewable energy industry in Australia employs 15,000 people and has delivered $260 million worth of investment each year for the past five years.