Strong support for renewable energy, by Victorian government
Victorian Government To Invest $1 Million Into Regional Renewable Energy Development https://cleantechnica.com/2017/04/12/victorian-government-investment-1-million-regional-renewable-energy-development/
by Joshua S Hill The Victorian Labor Government has announced it will commit $1 million in funding to establish a series of community hubs to drive renewable energy projects in regional Victoria, while also exploring the renewable energy potential of empty mine shafts in the state’s center.
An announcement made on Wednesday by the state’s Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, by the Andrews Labor Government, will see a total of $900,000 committed for three, two-year pilot Community Power Hubs in the towns of Bendigo, Ballarat, and the Latrobe Valley region. The community-owned and operated hubs would aim to drive investment into regional Victoria renewable energy projects, create jobs, and help reduce electricity bills. The hubs would also provide legal and technical expertize, as well as start-up funding.
An additional $100,000 has been committed to a feasibility study into the renewable energy potential of empty mine shafts in Bendigo. A further $50,000 will be provided to the City of Greater Bendigo to support the study, which will specifically investigate the potential of using solar powered pumped hydro to generate and store electricity in mine shafts which have long been empty. Early calculations already suggest that such a project could generate up to 784 kilowatt-hours, while simultaneously boosting the reliability of the local electricity grid, creating much-needed local jobs, and supporting the growth of local businesses.
“Interest in community energy projects has increased significantly over the years, with communities wanting greater control over their energy and associated costs,” said Lily D’Ambrosio. “Solar pumped hydro has the potential to store and generate significant amounts of energy. This feasibility study is the first key step towards realising the benefits of solar pumped hydro for the Bendigo region.”
Northern Australia fund board risks legal action over Adani loan
http://www.afr.com/business/mining/coal/northern-australia-fund-board-risks-legal-action-over-adani-loan-20170411-gvipjp
~ Laura Tingle, Political Editor, Australian Financial Review@latingle http://www.afr.com/business/mining/coal/laura-tingle-j7ges.html11 April 2017:
“Directors of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility are likely to be in breach of their duties
if they approve a controversial $900 million government loan for a railway to serve the Adani coal mine,
and face possible legal action, according to legal advice received by the Australian Conservation Foundation.
“Lawyers at Environmental Justice Australia wrote to the directors of the NAIF on Tuesday
sharing legal advice that the loan would put the directors personally in breach of duties to consider the financial risks associated with climate change if they make an investment decision in support of the Galilee Basin rail project. … “
Labor resists pressure for $900 million Adani coal mine loan
http://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/4593409/labor-resists-pressure-for-900-million-adani-coal-mine-loan/?cs=7~ Fergus Hunter
12 April 2017:
“Labor has rejected government claims the Adani Carmichael coal mine project in central Queensland deserves a $900 million concessional loan funded by taxpayers, saying the project should stand or fall “on its own two feet”. … “
Adani faces strong Indigenous fight despite court outcome
http://wanganjagalingou.com.au/adani-faces-strong-indigenous-fight-despite-court-outcome/ ~ Members of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners Council 12 April 2017:
“Members of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners Council say there is nothing in today’s court decision on the Native Title Act Section 66B application that will stop them in their fight against Adani in the courts.
“Senior spokesperson for the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J)Traditional Owners Council, and member of the existing Applicant, Mr Adrian Burragubba said, “The decision today shows how vulnerable the rights of Traditional Owners are when they don’t agree to the destruction of their country by big miners like Adani.
““Adani has actively worked to divide our community, undermine our representatives,
and register a sham agreement with our people to pave the way for the destruction of our lands and waters. …
“Youth spokesperson for the W&J Traditional Owners Council, MsMurrawah Johnson, said,
“Adani are pretending this mine is inevitable but it still faces a series of other court cases we are running.
We are currently in the Federal Court, working to prove Adani does not in any event have our consent
and its land use ‘deal’ is a sham and a cover for the destruction of our country.
““Adani is also before the Queensland Court of Appeal in May, when we challenge the Queensland government’s issuing of mining leases to Adani”.
““This proposed mine project will wreck our land and waters, and destroy our culture.
It will ride roughshod over our rights. It will unleash enormous environmental damage and
drive dangerous climate change in the process. … “
Turnbull offers to sacrifice Aboriginal rights to Adani in an act of national betrayal
http://wanganjagalingou.com.au/turnbull-offers-to-sacrifice-aboriginal-rights-to-adani-in-an-act-of-national-betrayal/ ~ Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners 11 April 2017:
“The Turnbull government is willing to sacrifice Aboriginal people’s rights in pursuit of a deal with Adani for its proposed coal megamine, sanctioning the destruction of the lands and waters of the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) traditional owners.
The Prime Minister has courted Gautam Adani with the offer of ‘fixing the native title problem.’
This is an act of national betrayal, says the W&J Traditional Owners Council. …
“Senior spokesperson for the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J)Traditional Owners Council Mr Adrian Burragubba said,
“The Prime Minister is another in a long line of political leaders, Federal and State,
who are willing to sacrifice Aboriginal peoples’ rights if a profit or a deal is attractive enough.
It is extraordinary to have the Prime Minister travelling to India to tell a businessman that he will change the Native Title Act in Australia and undermine our rights so that his destructive project can proceed. …
“Youth spokesperson for the W&J Traditional Owners Council, MsMurrawah Johnson, said,
“The Prime Minister has promised a foreign billionaire and head of a shady industrial conglomerate
that he will fix his ‘native title problem’ by changing the law in Australia.
We have always maintained that the Government’s rushed changes to the Native Title Act were ‘Adani amendments’. Today the Prime Minister has made it plain that this is another special favour for Adani. …
“For more information and to arrange interviews: Anthony Esposito, W&J Council advisor … “
Poor little dill Matt Canavan whinges about “bullying” opposition to Adano coal mine expansion
Loaning $900m for Adani’s central Queensland coal railway too risky, environmental lawyers say The World Today By Katherine Gregory 12 Apr 17
“………’If we stop this project, it will be worse for the environment’
The Minister for Northern Australia and Queensland senator Matt Canavan said the letter sent to NAIF’s directors was a bullying tactic.
“These guys are bullies trying to stop jobs being created in north Queensland. Their stated aim is against coal and development. Against coal, and coal is the second largest exporter in Queensland,” Senator Canavan said.
He said the Queensland Supreme Court has already dismissed environmentalists’ arguments that the mine should not go ahead because of climate change.
“If we don‘t supply India with coal, other countries will,” Senator Canavan said.
“So from global climate change perspective to argue that this mine in and of itself will warm the planet and cause global warming disasters is wrong and misguided.
“There are other parts of the world India will get its coal from and it will. The Indian resources minister has said that to me specifically.
“If anything, if we stop this project, it will be worse for the environment, because the coal that is there in the Galilee Basin is higher quality, much higher quality than what exists in India.”
Senator Canavan said Adani’s rail line would open up opportunities for other mines and create more jobs for regional Queensland.
But shadow resources and northern Australia minister Jason Clare said federal Labor does not support using taxpayer money to fund the rail line.
“What are the rules that this Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility have to comply with when they decide when they’re going to tip taxpayer money into private projects?” Mr Clare said.
“And one of the rules here is that they can only provide funding if the project is unlikely to go ahead without it. And Adani has said this funding isn’t critical.
“So on that basis it doesn’t meet the requirements of the fund.” say http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-12/adani-queensland-coal-mine-railway-$900m-loan-too-risky/8439582
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