Labor backs Greens plan to block Coalition from underwriting coal power
Guardian, Katharine Murphy Political editor@murpharoo, Tue 4 Dec 2018
Crossbenchers are being asked to support a bill preventing the signing of contracts before the next election Labor and the Greens will attempt to prevent the Morrison government from underwriting new coal-fired power as the energy policy battle moves into its next phase.
Labor on Tuesday resolved to support a Greens bill stopping the commonwealth from providing financial assistance to coal-fired power plants, and there is an effort to secure the requisite parliamentary numbers for an upset as the Morrison government moves ahead with its controversial energy package. Negotiations are under way with crossbenchers in both chambers.
The government secured a rubber stamp from the Coalition party room on Tuesday for policy measures aimed to reduce power prices, including a contentious divestiture power, but Guardian Australia revealed on Monday night ministers had to rework the original proposal substantially to head off a backbench revolt…….
The energy minister, Angus Taylor, who has signalled coal will be in the mix, with a possible indemnity against the risk of a future carbon price, declined to answer questions from journalists on Tuesday about whether the government would enter binding contracts with proponents before the next election, which would be difficult to unwind if the Morrison government loses next year.
The Greens, with support from Labor, are attempting to head that sortie off at the pass with the new private members’ bill. Discussions with the crossbench are under way in both chambers – but it is unclear whether the foray will succeed.
Greens MP Adam Bandt, who could be a crucial vote for the government on the divestiture package because the party is not opposed to the idea, warned the Coalition not to “rely on support from the Greens on energy issues while … trying to sign contracts for new coal-fired power stations”. …….. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/dec/04/labor-backs-greens-plan-to-block-coalition-from-underwriting-coal-power
Legal challenge against Adani coal mine plan, over water use
Adani coal mine water licence faces Federal Court challenge over move to bypass EIS, ABC , By Kate McKenna 4 Dec 18 The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has launched a legal challenge to a Federal Government decision to bypass an impact assessment of planned water use by Adani’s Carmichael coal mine in central Queensland.
Key points:
- Federal Minister made an “error of law” in bypassing EIS, ACF alleges
- Adani licensed to take up to 12.5b litres a year from Suttor River
- Indian miner says it can only take water after other licensed users
The ACF applied to the Federal Court, challenging Federal Environment Minister Melissa Price’s decision not to activate the “water trigger” for the proposed pipeline infrastructure, which avoided a full environmental impact assessment (EIS).
The move comes less than a week after Adani announced it would push ahead with construction of a scaled-down version of its Carmichael project.
Last year, the Indian mining giant was granted a water licence by the Queensland Government, meaning it could take up to 12.5 billion litres a year from the Suttor River.
Under federal law, coal mining projects must undergo a full environmental assessment if they are likely to have a significant impact on water resources.
But in September, the Federal Government decided the water trigger did not apply to the Carmichael project, instead saying it would only require “preliminary documentation”……..https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-04/adani-water-licence-acf-court-challenge/10582602
Students left hanging during Canberra trip to confront Morrison on climate change
Guardian, 5 Dec 18, Group rallies outside Parliament House after being told they needed to have a prearranged meeting organised. High school students from across Australia calling for emergency action on climate change have travelled to Canberra to confront the prime minister after he criticised them for skipping school to stage national strikes.
Students from Scott Morrison’s southern Sydney electorate of Cook – as well as Townsville, Melbourne and Brisbane – arrived at Parliament House on Wednesday morning to meet with him.
Morrison said he would sit down with the school students……..
But one group of 11 students gathered out the back of Parliament House in the hope of speaking to Morrison had not yet had any luck.
Fourteen-year-old Tully Bowtell-Young travelled solo from Townsville for the chance to share her concerns with the prime minister – using her own pocket money to help cover costs.
“I think it’s worthwhile because nothing I have now is going to mean anything if I don’t have a future in this world,” she said.
The striking students want federal policymakers to stop the Adani coalmine and move Australia from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy.
REPORT CASTS DOUBT OVER THE VIABILITY OF THE MULGA ROCK URANIUM PROJECT
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Vimy Resources has relied on heroic assumptions about prices, unfounded optimism about a booming nuclear industry, and has ignored regulatory risks and mine closure costs in its Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the proposed Mulga Rock uranium mine to the east of Kalgoorlie, a new report by the Australia Institute has found. The report, commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and the Conservation Council of WA (CCWA), will be released tomorrow as shareholders gather at Vimy Resources AGM in Perth. Dr Cameron Murray of The Australia Institute said, “The report clearly shows that, based on plausible assumptions about exchange rates and uranium prices, the proposed Mulga Rock uranium mine is unprofitable. “The Mulga Rock DFS is ambitious to the point of heroic. The projections for the future role of nuclear power are extremely optimistic, and the economic assessment of the project’s position in the global uranium marketplace fails to accurately reflect the international situation,” Dr Murray said. CCWA Nuclear Free Campaigner Mia Pepper said, “This report is a reality check for shareholders making investment decisions that would not only adversely affect their back pocket, but also impact a unique part of WA’s backyard.” “Vimy Resources is putting a brave face on a speculative roll of the dice,” said ACF Nuclear Free Campaigner Dave Sweeney. “The company lacks finance, full approvals, social licence, and a market. Having a gamble is hardly news in the mining sector, but gambling with the product that fuelled Fukushima and always generates long lived radioactive waste is not acceptable, and will be actively contested.” For the full report go to http://www.ccwa.org.au/nuclearfreewa scroll down to Reports. |
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False claims against Julian Assange pave the way for USA to imprison him (DOES AUSTRALIA NOT CARE?)
Indeed, we could see those articles as pivotal in the current hostile environment against Assange; the purpose of which is presumably to prepare the way for the extradition of Assange to the US. Meanwhile, the Mueller inquiry into alleged links between US president Donald Trump and Russia – and Assange – is gaining headlines on an almost daily basis. And there is evidence that Assange has been secretly indicted and that an extradition request is imminent.
In such an environment, media outlets must provide hard evidence to substantiate allegations, and not simply fall back on anonymous ‘sources’ (usually code for spooks). The people these allegations target deserve better, and so do readers
Former diplomat challenges ‘fake’ Guardian claims about Julian Assange meeting Paul Manafort The Canary 3rd December 2018 A former consul and first secretary at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London has spoken out against a “fake story” from the Guardian. Speaking to The Canary, Fidel Narváez insisted that the claim that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort met with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is entirely false. Continue reading
Weird responses of righteous fury, against students who protested about about climate change
The weirdest right-wing takes on the student climate protest , Australia’s free speech warriors took a righteous stand against children fighting for their future. Crikey, KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN DEC 03, 2018 After years of apocalyptic headlines and government intransigence on climate change, the sight of thousands of high school students packing Sydney’s Martin Place last Friday provided a jolt of much-needed hope for the future. Armed with loudspeakers, and some incredibly creative posters, the strike — which also took place in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Coffs Harbour, Bendigo and other city centres — represented part of a global surge of student-led climate change protests.
It also caused a surge of righteous fury among conservative politicians and commentators; a feeling that was not shared by most Australians who are more worried about climate change than ever, and increasingly are in favour of more renewable energy. Here’s a selection of the responses from those who chose to take a stand against the children advocating for their future: … (subscribers only)
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/12/03/student-climate-protest-takes/
South Australia now supplying electricity to Victoria, as wind power surges
 Victoria now relying on SA for power as wind production rises and coal plants close, Adelaide Now Daniel Wills, State Political Editor, The Advertiser December 3, 2018 Green-powered South Australia is now sending Victoria more electricity than it takes back as wind production surges, leading energy experts to warn that more storage is the key to keeping the local grid stable.
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Nuclear authorities planning for NUCLEAR PROCESSING at Kimba or Hawker dump site!
10,000 CSIRO barrels are stacked decaying within the Woomera Protected Area; & back in 2016 $29 million was budgeted for re-mediation.
CSIRO has been contacted numerous times by different folk seeking information about how that was progressing – no answer has been the firm reply…..
Well, Senator Rex Patrick recently released some documents he obtained under FOI, & within those we find, from an August 2017 DIIS facilitated meeting with very senior officers from CSIRO, ARPANSA, & Department of Defence :
“CSIRO estimates they have 10,000 drums of radioactive waste stored at Woomera. Initial reports indicate these drums represent 80% LLW and 20% ILW. There is both chemical and radiological waste, often mixed together. They have been directed by ARPANSA to undertake measures to characterise, separate, process as appropriate, and repackage. [my caps] HOWEVER, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO UNDERTAKE SUCH MEASURES WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE CURRENT STORAGE FACILITY AT WOOMERA” p17
……. then on p18
“Preparing any appropriate part of the CSIRO waste at Woomera for transport to the NRWMF once we have clarity on what that facility will deal with (eg. LLW processing, ILW storage)”
So, at August 2017, we have the bosses of Federal agencies flagging the PROCESSING OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE AT THE NRWMF.
The affected communities have not been informed about that – only being told it would be STORAGE ONLY. Also, the ‘temporary’ ‘interim’ holding of ILW in a shipping container, potentially 100 years, requires replacement of the canisters after 40 years, so there would also need to be built what is known as a ‘hot cell’ to undertake that risky venture…
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2ed7ca0ef6oh1p5/AAB6UaL6iCMWFH2dzwv2q4VBa?dl=0&preview=Woomera+Letter+2.pdf
ENuFF[SA] https://www.facebook.com/sanuclearfree/
Total fire ban South Australia – a dangerous place to put a nuclear waste dump?
Total fire bans declared for most of South Australia, The Advertiser, December 1, 2018 Total fire bans have been issued for most of South Australia on the first day of summer.
The Country Fire Service’s state operation centre is ready to react to any large fires today as the mercury soars to 30C across the state before a possible storm late in the afternoon.
A severe fire danger rating has declared for the following regions:
West Coast, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Yorke Peninsula, Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East, Lower South East and Mount Lofty Ranges
The official bushfire season has also begun today for Kangaroo Island and will run until April.
When total fire bans are declared, well prepared and actively defended houses can offer safety during a fire.
But the Country Fire Service warns that if residents do not have a bushfire survival plan, leaving early before a fire start is the safest option.
CFS State Duty Commander Nick Stanley told ABC radio certain activities that could cause a fire risk are banned during the fire danger season…..
Multiple bushfires on Yorke Peninsula South Australia
Bushfires in SA after lightning hits https://www.sbs.com.au/news/bushfires-in-sa-after-lightning-hits
A band of lightning moving across South Australia is believed to be the cause of multiple bushfires, in particular on the Yorke Peninsula at Minlaton. 2 Dec 18 Multiple fires are burning in South Australia and are believed to have been caused by a band of lightning moving across the state.
The most serious fire is on the Yorke Peninsula at Minlaton, the SA Country Fire Service said.
Just before 3pm, the CFS was telling nearby residents to “leave if the path is clear to a safer place” however the authority now says the rate of spread of the fire has halted.
However the CFS says it’s concerned that could change when the wind changes in a few hours.
“The CFS has concern that when the wind change arrives, there may be an increase in fire behaviour,” a warning message said.
“People east of the fire ground need to remain alert to this wind change and enact their Bushfire Survival Plan.”
There are smaller grass fires near Ettick in the Murraylands district, the Globe Derby Trotting track in the northern Adelaide metro area, Kangaroo Island, Hindmarsh Island, Kanmantoo, Barabba and Long Plains.
There is a total fire ban for most of the state.
Striking school students are more likely to have successful careers
School strikers are going places but the dole queue isn’t one of them, https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/climate-change/school-strikers-are-going-places-but-the-dole-queue-isn-t-one-of-them-20181202-p50jog.html, By Clive Hamilton 2 December 2018 The resources minister, Matt Canavan, last week told students that the only thing they’d learn by skipping school to protest over inaction on climate change would be how to join the dole queue.
The history of protest in Australia shows the opposite. The protest leaders of the 1960s and 1970s, including many high school students, were denounced by conservatives as long-haired layabouts who would never amount to anything. In fact, they became the next generation of leaders in politics, universities, media, the public service, NGOs and even business.
Take the 1965 Freedom Ride, for instance. “Look at em,” said one RSL stalwart when students turned up to protest against the ban on black diggers. “The brains of Australia! God help you if you ever end up under em.” That’s exactly what happened. The Freedom Ride’s leaders included Jim Spigelman, who would go on to become Chief Justice of NSW and chair of the ABC, Ann Curthoys, later an eminent professor, and Charles Perkins, who became an Aboriginal leader, leading public servant and one of Australia’s Living National Treasures.
Student protesters have become newspaper editors, cabinet ministers, prize-winning poets, much-loved cartoonists, publishers, world-famous authors and Supreme Court judges.
There’s a reason they develop into leaders. It’s those young people who throw themselves into civic engagement who become the best citizens and most productive members of our society. They are the passionate ones willing to stand up. They are not content to “work, consume, die” but commit themselves to making a better Australia.
When we hear Canavan tell 2GB the protesters are “not actually taking charge of their lives” and they should get a real job, he’s telling them they should not be active, motivated citizens but docile consumers who leave politics to the politicians.
The protesting school kids, tired of watching the sacrifice of their future by a government dominated by climate science deniers, had some sharp answers to that, waving placards reading “Why should we go to school if you won’t listen to the educated?” and “I’ve seen smarter cabinets in Ikea”.
The students are carrying on a noble tradition. The great social movements that defined modern Australia—the movements for women’s liberation, gay rights, Indigenous rights, and environmental protection—all inspired school students to get out on the streets, wave banners and chant slogans.
Clive Hamilton is the author of What Do We Want? The Story of Protest in Australia and professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University in Canberra.
Michael West shows the obstacles to Adani actually starting the Carmichael coal project
Desperate Adani’s bid to kick-start Carmichael before election, Michael West, Dec 2, 2018 The press release does not say they are starting the mine. It says they are starting the mine imminently. They have been starting the Carmichael coal mine imminently for many years. We maintain the view that this mine will not proceed, but the Adani family does have a special new inducement to proceed, besides risk-free income routed to family-controlled entities in tax havens, and that inducement comes from India. Michael West reports.The bankers have long fled the scene, mine “approvals risk” remains, the thermal coal price has tanked, the Carmichael Coal project is more on the nose than ever as Queensland burns.
Yet, last Thursday, Adani chief executive Lucas Dow told the Bowen Basin Mining Club lunch in Mackay that Carmichael would proceed imminently. Adani would now finance the mine itself.
It remains the view of this observer that it won’t happen and that Lucas Dow is jawboning, trying to get something going before the Federal Election next year. There is some urgency to this – an urgency supported by other Galilee Basin coal players Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer – because a Labor government is less likely to look favourably upon Adani’s aspirations to open up a new coal province.
Officially, Labor still supports the project proceeding, and some unions are in favour, but there is no hard-core coal lobby in the party, unlike in the Coalition Government, pushing it.
This is a project whose ambitions have fallen from $20 billion to $2 billion in project finance for its latest slimmed-down version.
These are the “nays”. The “yays” are few but one significant factor has swung in Adani Australia’s favour.
* The price of high-quality Newcastle coal has fallen to two-year lows at $US58/tonne.
* Adani has no rail access agreement with Aurizon to ship the coal to Abbot Point coal terminal.
* It does have a legitimate ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement) but this has been challenged and may take months to resolve.
* There is no final approval of water rights and the heatwave and fires in Queensland have hardened local opposition to the plan.
* Adani Group in India has not come up with $2 billion yet.
* Sources say that EFIC (Export Finance & Insurance Corporation) has discarded the idea of financing or guaranteeing Adani’s loans.
* Aurizon withdrew its application to NAIF (Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility) earlier this year for finance to build a 388k rail line from the Galilee to the coast.
The Yays
As the project is “vertically integrated”, that is, the coal goes straight to feed the Adani Group’s plants in Indonesia, the price of coal is not absolutely critical to whether it proceeds.
Here is the catch. The poor people of Gujurat Province in India have bizarrely been put on the hook to subsidise coal projects in India for the next thirty years. Why this has happened, one can only guess, but the effect of the deal appears to be to guarantee coal supply to three Indian coal magnates via “cost-plus” arrangements.
This from the Press Trust of India, October 11:
The recommendations of a high-powered committee on stranded power projects set up by the Gujarat government can bring a combined relief of Rs 1.29 trillion for Tata, Adani and Essar’s power plants in the state over the next 30 years, according to a source.
If the recommendations are implemented, the consumers will have to face the brunt of high power tariffs………..
In light of the Indian subsidies, Gautam Adani can probably borrow the $2 billion in project finance. Bear in mind that, thanks to the way the port terminal, and perhaps the rail, corporate entities are structured, the Adani family takes little risk on those revenues. Shipping coal will deliver per-tonne income to Adani family companies.
If the Adani group itself finances the mine – as opposed to external banks – it will bear the mine risk. Gautam Adani is yet to publicly say the deal is financed.
Given the remaining “approvals risks” as detailed above, there are still plenty of obstacles for the project to overcome.https://www.michaelwest.com.au/desperate-adanis-bid-to-kick-start-carmichael-before-election/
Antarctica – the Thwaites glacier is losing ice
Portrait of a planet on the verge of climate catastrophe As the UN sits down for its annual climate conference this week, many experts believe we have passed the point of no return, Guardian, by Robin McKie, 2 Dec 18 “……. Antarctica
It is hard to get a grip of the sheerscale of the Thwaites glacier in west Antarctica. It’s more than 300 miles long and 200 wide – and more than a mile thick. It drains an area of ice that is larger than England and stealthily slides towards the sea by several metres every day. Only from satellite images have we understood the shape and power of this ice monster.
These now show the beast is waking up. Thwaites’s uptake of falling snow was once matched, fairly finely, by snow and ice being lost as icebergs. Now it has begun to flow faster, along with some of its neighbouring glaciers. More ice is being lost into the ocean than is being replaced, speeding up global sea-level rise.
The cause of the disruption at Thwaites is straightforward, researchers have discovered. Increasing amounts of warm ocean water coming from the north have been melting the floating parts of the glacier and this, in turn, is letting the inland glacier run more quickly into the sea. This much we know, but we have still to understand how this process is likely to accelerate. At present, Thwaites contributes around 4% of observed sea-level rise, but it is widely agreed that this could grow exponentially. Indeed, some glaciologists believe that a complete collapse of the Thwaites glacier over coming centuries is now inevitable – and that would raise global sea level by several metres, drowning coastal ecosystems around the world, damaging coastal investments and displacing millions of people………. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/02/world-verge-climate-catastophe
Release of Federal Inquiry Report into community contamination from toxic chemicals
| On Monday December 3rd a cross-party Parliamentary Inquiry will release its report into the Defence Department’s management into PFAS contamination in and around Defence bases. To date 90 sites and communities in every single state and territory of Australia have been contaminated by this toxic and banned chemical which was used in firefighting foams and has leaked into the environment. |
| A seven-year study of 69,000 US residents by an independent panel of scientists concluded these body of chemicals were connected to developmental issues in infants and children, increased cancer risk, high cholesterol levels, hormone disruption and lowered immunity.
For years contaminated communities were kept in the dark about their homes being contaminated. For the last four years they have fought tirelessly for their own Government to take responsibility for compensation and clean-up of their polluted properties. The Inquiry report will detail physical, emotional and financial toll living in a contaminated community has created along with listing recommendations. Contaminated communities are tired of years of inaction and false claims. “To date, the Australian Government is a world leader in managing PFAS contamination.” Letter from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to Williamtown residents. March 2018 Fact– More than 170 countries have signed a treaty which ban PFAS related chemicals – Australia refuses to. Fact– PFAS is not only still leaking off Defence bases, airports and industrial sites all around Australia in States such as Queensland it’s still in use at over 200 sites. Fact – Defence and the Government continues to refuse to provide blood testing for residents at a number of contaminated sites. It will not release collated blood testing results from other sites. Fact:– Contaminated communities are told not to drink water or eat food from their properties but the Government is dismissive of the international research detailing the health risks of PFAS. Fact – The Inquiry hearings saw both the Defence Department admit they would welcome a third party stepping in to better manage the PFAS contamination and the Federal Government unable to point to who was coordinating the national response to it handling it. |
Adani’s announcement they are ‘ready to go’ must be reality tested
Brisbane, Australia: Galilee Basin Traditional Owners say today’s announcement by Adani Mining that it has decided to fund its massively scaled down Carmichael project must be reality tested. They say the Queensland Government has not extinguished their native title, which is crucial to the mine proceeding.
W&J Traditional Owner and lead spokesperson Adrian Burragubba said, “Even if Adani’s announcement proves to be true, they do not have the final approvals or the financial close needed for the mine to proceed. They are also under investigation for environmental breaches on our country.
“It is a measure of Adani’s failure that they can’t obtain finance for the project they touted to our people.. We rejected it when they first came to us and we reject it now, because Adani offers nothing of worth to our people and will destroy our country forever.
“We demand a guarantee from the Queensland Government they won’t now extinguish our native title for Adani. Queensland Labor has said they recognise that the registration of the Adani ILUA is contested and they acknowledge and respect our right to have our complaints considered and determined by a court.
“We have an appeal before the full bench of the Federal Court. To act before this concludes would be to deny our rights and open the way for a grave injustice. Without our consent, the mine is not ready to proceed”.
1 This month
4 November – Will AUKUS keep us safe – at what cost?
the Commissioners of the AUKUS Public Inquiry present their findings at the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra. iview.abc.net.au/show/national-press-club-address
Submissions to the federal government’s new draft framework close on the 13th November 2026.
Australians deserve the truth
about
AUKUS – https://aukuspublicinquiry.com/
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
