Uranium mining might commence again at Ranger, Northern Territory
NT uranium mine gets future beyond 2021, Yahoo 7 Finance, 19 Sept 13 The Northern Territory’s Ranger uranium mine has unveiled a new water processing machine it says will prolong its future beyond a planned 2021 closure. Mining has been completed at the site, which is located within but is not a part of the world heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. It’s operated by Energy Resources Australia (ERA), which is owned by Rio Tinto.
The $220 million brine concentrator unveiled on Thursday will improve the mine’s ability to treat water and progressively rehabilitate the site, which must be completed by 2026, when it must be of a standard to be reintegrated into Kakadu.
Previous attempts to treat water properly were either too small for requirements or unsuccessful, CEO Rob Atkinson said………
Although the Ranger mine is now only processing stockpiled ore as its open pits are slowly being backfilled, exploration for a possible underground mine is underway at a neighbouring site called Ranger 3 Deeps.
If feasible, mining could begin in 2015 but would only be able to operate for five years under the current lease agreement.
Mr Atkinson said it was too early to be talking about future negotiations with stakeholders such as the Jabiru community and the Mirarr people, the transitional owners of the land….. http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/nt-uranium-mine-gets-future-052217361.html
Dan Tehan, Liberal MP for Wannon urged to save jobs, business, by keeping Clean Energy Finance Corporation
MP urged to help save clean energy fund ABC News, 19 Sep 2013, The Victorian Wind Alliance is calling on the Liberal Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, to help stop the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) from being axed.
The Federal Government’s ministry was sworn in yesterday and it is understood legislation to abolish the clean energy fund is to be drafted immediately.The corporation recently granted a loan to a Portland wind project by Pacific Hydro and renewable energy businesses are concerned their projects will no longer get the investment needed.
Andrew Bray of the Victorian Wind Alliance says a strong industry has developed in Victoria’s south-west and Mr Tehan should move to protect that.
“For the Government to be moving in this way, in a way that’s so contrary to this area is not really a good look,” he said. “So we would really like to see Dan Tehan take up the fight for south-west Victoria, from within Government.
“We think there’s room for them, now they’re in Government, [to] adjust some of their thinking on this.” Keppel Prince Engineering general manager Steve Garner says the corporation has helped renewable energy projects be approved faster.
He says without the grants, business may drop off. “That’s the impact that we would see, is a lull between projects and if that happens then we really do have to assess whether this business is something we want remain in, because it has huge costs and huge impact on us,” he said.
“It’s disappointing that the Liberal National Party are continuing with this push to try and abolish the CEFC,” he said.
“I’m hopeful that those people are able to convince the Libs of a different position because I see them as an absolute asset for Australian manufacturing, Australian jobs and for getting the country moving in relation to renewable energy.”……http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/mp-urged-to-help-save-clean-energy-fund/4967196
To shut the Climate Change Authority is an attack on future generations
Abbott shuts down Climate Commission (includes opinion poll) Tom Arup Environment editor, The Age 19 Sept 13 A spokeswoman for Mr Hunt said he had also approved a brief to begin drafting a bill to repeal the separate Climate Change Authority as part of the Coalition’s broader efforts to remove the carbon price.
She said the government would hold more discussions with the authority in coming weeks.
While the Climate Commission could be abolished by the minister at any time, the authority can only be shut down by an act of Parliament.
The authority was created to advise the government on emissions-reduction targets and caps and to detail international efforts to combat climate change. It was due to release a draft of a report on targets and caps next month.
A Climate Change Authority spokeswoman said it believed the government intended to abolish the agency through the repeal of legislation, but it did not have any further information at this time.
Greens leader Christine Milne said said issuing instructions to close the authority was irresponsible in the face of dangerous climate change.
“The Climate Change Authority was set up to de-politicise the process of setting greenhouse emission reduction targets. Everyone knows that a 5 per cent emission reduction target is woefully inadequate,” Senator Milne said. “Shutting down the Climate Change Authority, ahead of its first report on fair and science based emission reduction targets for Australia, is cowardly and an attack on current and future generations.” http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abbott-shuts-down-climate-commission-20130919-2u185.html#ixzz2fSelP96C
Legislation needed to axe Climate Change Authority. Public to be kept in the dark
”what will the future think of the people who voted for this action?”
Mr Hunt declined to respond to questions from Fairfax Media.
Scientists say climate cuts leave public in the dark September 19, 2013 Peter Hannam, The Age Carbon economy editor The Abbott government’s plan to make scrapping the Climate Commission and the Climate Change Authority among its first priorities will deprive Australians of independent information on global warming just when it is needed most, leading scientists say.
Staff at the Climate Commission, a federal body set up to publicise climate-change science, have all but ceased work as they await instructions from new Environment Minister Greg Hunt.
The Climate Change Authority, a statutory body that will need a change in legislation before it can be axed, is continuing work on a draft report due out next month. That report will recommend the level of cuts to greenhouse gas emissions Australia should set and also details international efforts to combat climate change.
Release of New South Wales Renewable Energy Plan
Final NSW Renewable Energy Action Plan released http://ecogeneration.com.au/news/final_nsw_renewable_energy_action_plan_released/083533/ Fri, 20 September 2013
The final New South WalesRenewable Energy Action Plan has been launched, detailing three goals and 24 actions to grow renewable energy generation in the state.
The Plan’s three key goals are:
- Attract renewable energy investment and projects
- Build community support for renewable energy
- Attract and grow expertise in renewable energy technology.
The Plan positions New South Wales to increase the use of energy from renewable sources at the least cost to the energy customer.
Key actions of the plan include: Continue reading
Abbott government illegal in telling Clean Energy Finance Corporation to cease operations
Clean Energy Finance Corporation could sue over Coalition shutdown It is not lawful for the new government to tell the CEFC to cease operations, says leading barrister Lenore Taylor, political editor theguardian.com, Thursday 19 September 2013
The board of the clean energy finance corporation is legally obliged to ignore a directive from the new treasurer, Joe Hockey, to cease its operation and could take the Coalition government to court if it persisted in attempts to shut the CEFC down before the parliament voted to abolish it, according to advice from a leading barrister. Continue reading
Abbott scraps Climate Commission, puts the vacuous Greg Hunt in charge!
Heaven help Australia – no Climate Change Department, and Greg Hunt of all people, in charge of climate matters!
Tim Flannery sacked, Climate Commission dismantled by Coalition by: Gemma Jones Political Reporter From: News Limited Network September 19, 2013 PROFESSOR Tim Flannery has been sacked by the Abbott Government from his $180,000 a year part time Chief Climate Commissioner position with the agency he runs to be dismantled immediately.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt called Prof Flannery this morning to tell him a letter formally ending his employment was in the mail.
In the letter, Mr Hunt tells Prof Flannery: “The Climate Commission does not have an ongoing role, and consequently I am writing to advise you that the Climate Commission has been dissolved, with effect from the date of this letter…… All other climate commissioners will also be sacked with the move to save more than $500,000 this financial year and $1.2 million next financial year.
The Coalition will now take advice on climate change from the Department of the Environment. – [Greg Hunt as Minister]
Tony Abbott’s real reasons for abolishing carbon price – and for his Direct Action sham
Secondly, powerful vested interests in Australia, including the fossil fuel lobby, mining industry and carbon intensive corporations are heavy donors to Mr Abbott’s Liberal Party.
Why Tony Abbott wants to abolish the carbon price, The Guardian, by Alexander White Wednesday 18 September 2013
Why is abolishing the carbon price Tony Abbott’s ‘top legislative priority’? “……. in my view it’s clear that Mr Abbott wants to abolish the carbon tax primarily for two reasons.
Firstly, he is either not convinced of the urgency of the threat of climate change to Australia’s economy or society, or doesn’t believe in climate change at all. For example, one of Tony Abbott’s business advisors, former ABC chairman Maurice Newman, in an article in The Australian equated concern over climate change to a “global warming religion” and climate scientists as a “global warming priesthood”.
Mr Abbott himself famously said in an interview that climate change is “crap”, and his ministry and senior member of his political party are avowed climate change science deniers. This position was made clear in 2009 by Malcolm Turnbull after being dumped as leader: Continue reading
Nuclear lobby front man Paul Howes will bide his time to get into Parliament
Christina Macpherson What is this – Paul Howes posing as some sort of left-winger? Backed by the big mining corporations and the nuclear lobby, Paul Howes helped them to get rid of Kevin Rudd’s Super Profits Mining Tax, and indeed, to get rid of Kevin Rudd.
Paul Howes is a gung-ho advocate for Australia’s uranium/nuclear lobby – and he will make his move when he deems that he is sure to be elected
Union chief Paul Howes abandons bid for Senate vacancy, saying it would have got ugly PAUL CLEARY THE AUSTRALIAN SEPTEMBER 19, 2013
……….HIGH-profile union leader Paul Howes has decided not to stand for a possible Senate vacancy, saying he does not want to spark a brawl in the NSW branch of the Labor Party. “I don’t want to be a wrecker and I don’t want to divide,” Mr Howes, the national secretary of the Australian Workers Union and so-called “faceless man”, told reporters in Sydney……..
As an ALP Right faction powerbroker, Mr Howes played a role in Julia Gillard’s overthrow of Kevin Rudd as prime minister in 2010 -…….
Mr Howes refused to rule out running for parliament in the future, including as a lower house candidate in the next federal election. He declared his support for Bill Shorten in the leadership contest for federal Labor. : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/union-chief-paul-howes-abandons-bid-for-possible-senate-vacancy/story-fn59niix-1226722672466#sthash.A7cN4HdX.dpuf
Martin Ferguson applauds the Abbott government’s attack on renewable energy
Christina Macpherson Just as well I’m not a subscriber to the Fin Rev – so I wasn’t able to read this almost certainly nauseous article. Anyway, readers might have noticed that Australia’s former (Labor) Energy Minister, Martin Ferguson, has gone very quiet in recent months.
In that job, Martin Ferguson functioned with determination as the Minister Against Renewable Energy. It was a hard job for him, seeing that he was in a government that supported renewable energy and action on climate change.
So now, at last, – Ferguson can come out in his true colours – as servant of the polluting industries, and happily supporting the Liberals in their servitude to the polluting industries. What’s next for Ferguson – a big job with BHP, or with the Australian Uranium Association, or with John 
White, working for Australia as international radioactive trash dump?
Ferguson backs lower renewable energy target Financial Review Former energy minister Martin Ferguson has backed an industry campaign to reduce the renewable energy target, an intervention which will strengthen the hand of critics of the scheme within the Coalition. (subscribers only)
18 SEP 2013 http://www.afr.com/p/national/ferguson_backs_lower_renewable_energy_KMQdzXIjg1aFFox2r6XIcJ
South Australia’s renewable energy success, as its electricity prices fall
The Australian Energy Market Operator has predicted that the amount of rooftop solar could triple by 2020. Depending on how much wind energy is built between now and 2020 – and that will depend on whether the new government retains the current renewable energy target – the state’s renewable energy capacity is expected to soar well above 50 per cent by then.
South Australia’s perfect energy mix: Cleaner, greener, cheaper REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 18 September 2013 Not only has South Australia achieved the highest level of wind energy and rooftop solar in the country, and has cut its emissions by a third in the last few years, its consumers have also had a windfall in generation costs: they are paying generators much less for their electricity than they did before the boom in wind farm and household solar began in 2009.
A study by energy analyst firm Pitt & Sherry finds that in 2012/13, the average South Australian paid generators $88 a year less for the electricity he or she consumed than they did in 2009-10.
And that is even after the introduction of a carbon price. If the impact of the carbon price is taken out, the average price paid per capita to generators in South Australia has fallen by $188 over the last four years – during which time the wind industry has grown from virtually nothing to more than 1,200MW, and rooftop solar has done the same (it is now 400MW). Continue reading
Australia’s power utilities losing money because of falling electricity demand, not because of carbon pricing
lower demand and the impact of renewables is actually delivering cheaper electricity, even if it means that generators are suffering because of lower profits
South Australia’s perfect energy mix: Cleaner, greener, cheaper REneweconomy, By Giles Parkinson on 18 September 2013 “……..Of the other states, Tasmania (because it is mostly hydro) had the lowest carbon impact of just $43 per capita, while Victoria had the highest courtesy of its brown coal generators, and Queensland and NSW, which both rely heavily on black coal generation, also had high impacts.
However, the impact of falling demand and renewables offset much of these price impacts. In Victoria, which takes a lot of the excess South Australian generation, and where the local energy efficiency program has also had a signficant impact (household consumption is down 10 per cent over the last year according to EnergyAustralia), the fall in wholesale prices represented $124 per capita. That means, even with a carbon price, average payments to generators rose only $55 over the four years. Continue reading
Clean Energy Finance Corporation – its demise will stall investment and jobs
CEFC put on notice by new government Sky News September 18, 2013 The Clean Energy Finance Corporation hopes it may have a role to play under an Abbott government despite the coalition taking steps to dismantle the ‘green bank’ on its first day in office.
The coalition has set about implementing its promise to wind back the government-owned body tasked with investing in clean energy.Treasurer Joe Hockey has written to the CEFC requesting the cooperation of its board in suspending all further investments.
The Australian Greens slammed the move as illegal, claiming the coalition could not instruct the $10 billion CEFC to act against its legislated mandate.
The corporation has agreed not to approve any new investments but will continue meeting its existing legal and contractual obligations……. Australian Greens senator Richard Di Natale said the CEFC had been legislated to invest its funds and telling them to do otherwise without new laws in place showed a ‘complete disregard for the parliament’.
‘The fact that Tony Abbott believes he can instruct an independent statutory body to act against its legislated mandate … shows arrogance and hubris,’ Senator Di Natale said in a statement.
The CEFC was set up under the Gillard government’s carbon price package, and assigned $10 billion over five years to support renewable energy projects through loans, guarantees and equity investments. The corporation said it had invested $500 million on projects worth $2 billion, meaning it had generated four times its own outlay, and had no adverse impact on government net debt.
Some advocates of clean energy have expressed concerns that investment and jobs in the sector will stall without the certainty of funds provided the CEFC……..http://www.skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=907335
Queensland’s Newman government to open up Cape York wilderness to mining
Blueprint splits Cape Liam Parsons Thursday, September 19, 2013 The Cairns Post HUGE sections of Cape York will be opened up to mining and farming under the Newman Government’s draft Cape York Regional Plan.
Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney was in Cairns yesterday to unveil the plan which will replace the former Labor government’s Wild Rivers laws……. Wilderness Society Northern Australia campaigner Gavan McFadzean described the draft plan as the Newman Government’s blueprint to industrialise Cape York. “This Government wants to open up the most sensitive waterways and landscapes to mining, dams and land clearing,” he said.
Mr McFadzean said the plan snubbed the region’s world heritage values and “rides roughshod over the aspirations of the traditional owners of Cape York.” http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/09/19/248318_local-news.html
Pacific Hydro will go it alone, believing in its Portland Wind Project.
Clean energy providers bypassing the big power retailers CRIKEY, TRISTAN EDIS | SEP 17, 2013 Pacific Hydro’s wind farm will be financed without a big power retailer involved. Is this the future or just a last hurrah for the Clean Energy Finance Corporation? Pacific Hydro announced last week it will construct the 47 megawatts final stage of the Portland Wind Project. The size of the wind farm is nothing exceptional, but the way it is commercially structured is: this wind farm is one of very few constructed without a major energy retailer involved either as the owner, or as a 10-year-plus purchaser of the output.
Generally wind farms are developed with energy retailers involved. That’s because they substantially reduce the risk of the project by providing a fixed price for output, bypassing wholesale electricity and renewable energy certificate markets which can be extremely volatile………
Pacific Hydro has decided to take a punt that market fundamentals will eventually prevail. It’s worth noting they’ve done this with $70 million in finance from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The CEFC’s mandate includes adopting the presumption that politicians don’t fiddle with the law of the land.
Will other financiers be quite so brave now the CEFC has been ordered to shut down? http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/09/17/clean-energy-providers-bypassing-the-big-power-retailers/?wpmp_switcher=mobile
1 This month.
20 September –National Day of Action in Melbourne on the International Day of Peace
Help Aunty Sue Protect Her Land and Sacred Sites From Destructive Rocket Testing.
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PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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