GILLESPIE CALLS FOR LABOR TO ABANDON OFFSHORE WIND FARMS IN PARLIAMENT
Federal Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie has addressed Parliament speaking out against the Offshore Wind farm proposed off the coast of his electorate.
“I would have thought after last Saturday, that the Albanese Government would realise it needs to start listening and responding to the concerns of the Australian people,” Dr Gillespie told Parliament.
“This trillion dollar-plus energy plan by Labor, Greens and Teal Independents is something we simply cannot afford.
Dr Gillespie recently attended and addressed the anti-wind farm rally in Port Stephens attended by nearly 2,000 people.
“I can assure all of the people who have expressed their concerns about this project that I am absolutely opposed to this development which will have a significant negative impact on our region and the people of Australia.
“Both locally, and in many of the places where these developments are being proposed as part of Labor’s expensive Rewiring the Nation agenda, communities continue to oppose them for many good and practical reasons, and it is extremely disappointing the lack of consultation in the preparation of these projects.
“These wind farms are not a solution for retiring baseload generators, but will increase grid instability, destroy the environment and force electricity costs higher than households or small business can realistically afford,” Dr Gillespie said.
In the case of this project, it will be a serious risk to the navigation of local and international shipping and boating, as well as the wind farms themselves in storm and tempest.
The feasibility studies and the eventual project will detrimentally impact whale and dolphin (cetacean) acoustics, migration and pod behaviour. Marine bird life will suffer like they do on land-based wind farms.
Dr Gillespie said there would be enormous financial cost on the $1bn local commercial fishing industry, commercial freighters, blue water and the tourism economy.
“On land, the significant environmental and aesthetic impact will be felt with the connecting, high-voltage grid, which is likely to travel through the pristine Great Lakes and Myall Coast native bush, environmental and agricultural land. This will have a very significant cost, which electricity payers will subsidise through higher grid and electricity prices.”
“The whole proposal is outrageously uneconomic and relies on subsidies via Large Scale Renewable Energy Certificates – which you pay on your rising electricity bills.”
“New baseload replacement power is urgently required and the Labor, Greens and Teal Independent’s proposal to create 28,000km of new power lines through the countryside and turn our landscape into industrial parks of wind turbines and solar panels is complete madness.”
“Communities have no problem with solar panels on buildings to generate additional power for households and businesses. However, this trillion dollar-plus energy plan by Labor, Greens and Teal Independent’s is something we simply cannot afford.
Dr Gillespie said existing power stations should be maintained until they can be replaced by new zero-emission nuclear technology.
“As coal-fired power plants are retired, they could be replaced at those sites with modern modular nuclear power plants which can be plugged into the existing grid which will avoid the economic an environmental mess the Albanese Government will create if they continue to pursue their 100% renewable agenda,” Dr Gillespie said.
“I will be continuing to raise this matter in Parliament and do all I can to stop it and I am encouraging everyone in the community to hold all Federal and State Labor Ministers and MPs, Greens and Independents to account for their failure to listen and apply simple commonsense.