Stand Tall: No Dump Alliance urges South Australian leaders to halt nuclear waste plan.
The No Dump Alliance has today launched a petition targeting Premier Jay Weatherill and Opposition leader Steven Marshall to take a stand and use SA’s existing no dump laws to publicly oppose the federal government plan to build a nuclear waste dump in South Australia.
One site in the Flinders Ranges and two sites near Kimba on the Eyre Peninsular are now being assessed by the federal government to become the nation’s nuclear waste facility.
The majority of this waste is currently in storage at secure federal facilities and no compelling case has been made for its transfer. There is clear community opposition to Canberra’s plan in both affected regions and the Alliance supports the growing national call for an open review of all waste management options, rather than targeting regional communities for a dump site.
In a statement the Alliance outlined that this “is the time to stand up. South Australians have fought and won the nuclear waste battle before.” The Alliance petition is calling on the leaders of both major political parties in SA to commit to using the existing Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibitions) Act, 2000 to send a clear message of active opposition to the federal dump plan.
“We need our state leaders to stand with us against this federal plan, this process had already cause immeasurable damage to our community and it needs to stop. We do not want our agricultural region exposed to the risks this nuclear waste presents and we need our leaders to ensure our that state legislation is upheld.” said Kimba resident and No Radioactive Waste Dump on Agricultural Land in Kimba or SA President, Peter Woolford.
Following the end of plans for SA to host international radioactive waste the No Dump Alliance has refocused its work to support communities targeted by the federal government’s plan to build a nuclear waste dump in SA. This will be a key focus of the Alliance’s work in the lead up to the 2018 state election.
“The Australian Education Union applauded the Premier’s announcement that an international waste dump in SA is no longer in question and will not be progressed by the current or future Labor governments. However, if by his own admission the show of solidarity by the wider community with the Aboriginal community in protest of any nuclear storage on SA land is to have any credence this must be followed with a clear rejection of the Federal government’s proposal to use this state as the nuclear waste bin for the nation” Said Dash Taylor Johnson, Australian Education Union and No Dump Alliance member.
18 August More REneweconomy news
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CEFC backs IoT tech to help consumers control energy use, costsClean Energy Finance Corporation makes two new investments in companies focused on one of the easiest ways to reduce consumer power bills.
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Australia’s coal problem is also its mercury problemAnalysis of toxic emissions from Australia’s coal plants has revealed our per capita mercury emissions are roughly double the global average.
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Tasmania talks up renewables, ignores battery storage, gets stuck on gasTasmanian Energy Security report reasserts the importance of more diverse renewable energy supply. But ignores battery storage.
Auditor General to investigate Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility?
Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility may be investigated by auditor general
NGOs urge audit following Wayne Swan’s warning Naif risks ‘misallocating billions of dollars’ in loan for Adani’s mine rail link, Guardian, Michael Slezak, 17 Aug 17, The controversial Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, which is mulling a $900m loan for a rail link for Adani’s Carmichael coalmine, may be investigated by the auditor general.
The potential inquiry by the auditor general, who has wide-ranging access and information-gathering powers, follows interventions from a former federal treasurer and environment groups.
In March, Wayne Swan wrote to the auditor general requesting that he urgently begin an investigation into the “unacceptable fiscal risks” Naif posed to the commonwealth.
Swan warned that Naif risked “misallocating billions of dollars of public money,” specifically raising the secrecy around Naif’s consideration of a loan to Adani, its lack of adequate staffing and the pressure imposed on the organisation by “a domineering minister”.
“I am concerned the real risk of maladministration may lead to significant losses to the commonwealth in the future and the misallocation of resources due to political pressure and poor governance, resulting in funds failing to be allocated to more worthy purposes,” Swan said in his letter.
The auditor general replied last month, informing Swan that he had considered the request, and decided to include an audit of Naif among the potential performance audits to be completed in the 2017-18 work program.
The auditor general is independent of the government, and the decision on whether an audit of Naif goes ahead depends on a number of factors, including the priorities of the parliament and public submissions……
Paul Sinclair, ACF’s Director of Campaigns, said: “Naif is a secretive, poorly run organisation. It is critical that the auditor general fully scrutinise its operations, transparency and decision-making processes.”
“Naif’s consideration of the Adani project shows that it cannot be trusted to spend public funds intelligently,” he said. “Northern Australia needs investment that will benefit people and the environment, not Adani’s bank accounts in the Cayman Islands.”
“Without radical reforms, Naif will simply become another vehicle for fleecing Australia of its wealth to line the pockets of a few billionaire mining magnates,” Sinclair said. “Australians can have no confidence in an organisation that has pledged its allegiance to coal mining instead of the Great Barrier Reef and the 70,000 jobs that depend on it.”
Naif has not responded to questions from the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/aug/17/northern-australia-infrastructure-facility-naif-may-be-investigated-by-auditor-general
Standards Australia to ban home energy storage batteries!
Warnings of energy storage market chaos, as industry unites against home battery ban http://reneweconomy.com.au/warnings-energy-storage-market-chaos-industry-unites-home-battery-ban-71889/By Sophie Vorrath on 17 August 2017 One Step Off The Grid
The potentially industry crippling home battery installation safety guideline proposed by Standards Australia has again been slammed by the industry, as fundamentally flawed and – if passed – certain to throw the energy storage industry into chaos, both in Australia and overseas.
In a newsletter to members on Tuesday, Australia’s Energy Storage Council said that the current Draft Battery Standard ASNZ5139 – which effectively bans the installation of lithium-ion battery storage systems inside homes and garages on the basis that they are a fire risk – needed to be completely re-written.
“The draft Standard is not evidence-based and has enormous implications for the Australian and global battery storage industry,” the ESC said. Continue reading
18 August REneweconomy news
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Graph of the Day: South Australia’s wholesale price changes in 2017SA chart paints a picture of how power prices were higher when gas dominated the fuel mix in the state.
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Origin to add “a Hazelwood” of renewables by 2020, but says CET remains “critical”Despite an upbeat renewables outlook, Origin Energy CEO says the market is not out of the woods yet, and that for investment to keep up momentum, policy stability remains at a premium, and the introduction of a Clean Energy Target is critical.
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Jay Weatherill on hydrogen, load-shedding, community activism and his criticsThe SA Premier talks eggs, sausages, solar thermal, battery storage… and why the federal Clean Energy Target still matters.
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Origin FY17: Revenue up, margins up, customers downOrigin Energy lost electricity customers but grew revenue, price and margin for the full-year 2017. Overall the result was strong at virtually every line.
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Chinese climate impacts will hit Australian economyHow hard will climate impacts in China hit Australia’s economy? It’s a question for the Senate inquiry into national security implications of climate change.
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AGL launches free rooftop solar energy monitoring serviceAGL is offering households with rooftop solar systems a free service to help them protect potential savings by monitoring their systems.
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Origin rides high power price wave – but says it has to stopOrigin results show its retail division made the most of a “transitioning energy market.” But CEO says further power price rises “bad for everyone.”
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New Energy Solar recognised as an ABA100 winnerNew Energy Solar has today been recognised as an ABA100 Winner in The Australian Business Awards 2017.
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New Secretary appointed for DELWPThe Andrews Labor Government has today appointed Mr John Bradley as the new Secretary of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
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Climate Denial in Australia and USA: the Differences
The Madhouse Effect: this is how climate denial in Australia and the US compares, The Conversation, Professor of Environmental Politics and Co-Director Sydney Environment Institute, University, August 14, 2017 Michael Mann is well known for his classic “hockey stick” work on global warming, for the attacks he has long endured from climate denialists, and for the good fight of communicating the environmental and political realities of climate change.
Mann’s work, including his recent book The Madhouse Effect, has helped me, as a dual US-Australian citizen, think about the similarities and differences between the US and Australia as we respond to what has been called the climate change denial machine.
In both countries, the denialists and distortionists have undermined public knowledge, public policy, new economic development opportunities, and the very value of the environment. Climate policy is being built upon alternative facts, fake news, outright lies, PR spin and industry-written talking points.
From the carbon industry capture of the two major parties, to the Abbott-Turnbull government parroting industry talking points, to coal industry lobbyists as government energy advisers, to the outright idiotic conspiracy pronouncements of senators funded and advised by the US- based denial machine, the Madhouse Effect is in full force in Australia.
How we can expose and counter this denialist machine? To partly lay out the task, I will discuss three points of contrast between the US and Australia.
Political culture
There is a key difference between the two countries’ political cultures. As much as the denialists have determined Australian energy and climate policy, they have not been as successful, yet, at undermining deep-seeded respect in Australian culture for the common good, for science, for expertise and knowledge…….
Last year, when the government fired climate scientists at CSIRO, there was another huge public backlash. The government had to step back a bit, both on the actual science to be done and the radical agenda change away from science for the public good.
And again, when the government wanted to support the dubious work of Bjorn Lomborg, that caused an outcry from both the university sector and the public. Even though the government wound up paying more than A$600,000 on what The Australian called his “vanity book project”, they couldn’t import him and plant him at any Australian university.
As Mann says, the main issue in implementing good, sound climate policy is no longer simply the science. The main issue is the cultural understanding of, and respect for the role of science in informing political decisions.
That’s not to say there are no attacks on science – clearly, these continue (such as the recent challenges to normal Bureau of Meteorology practices). But, overall, climate denialists and their enablers are outnumbered outliers in Australia, rather the norm.
The power of the carbon industry
My second point of comparison is not quite as positive.
The problem in Australia is less a culture turning against the Enlightenment, and more the direct political power and influence of the carbon industry. ……
even here I think there is some hope. We have seen, over the last few years, an incredible coalition grow – one focused on the end of carbon mining, on protecting communities, on creating real jobs, and on supporting renewables.
Once-unthinkable coalitions of farmers and Aboriginal communities are fighting new mines, new attacks on sacred and fertile land and water.
We have intensive household investment in rooftop solar – and as the feed-in tariffs are undermined, those folks will increasingly invest in battery storage. And we’re finally seeing states move in this direction, with increasing development of utility-scale renewable and storage projects. As hard as the federal government and its allies resist, renewables are growing and the public supports this – even conservative voters. https://theconversation.com/the-madhouse-effect-this-is-how-climate-denial-in-australia-and-the-us-compares-81822
South Australian Premier announces Solar thermal power plant for Port Augusta
Solar thermal power plant announced for Port Augusta ‘biggest of its kind in the world’, ABC, 15 August 17, A 150-megawatt solar thermal power plant has been secured for Port Augusta in South Australia, State Premier Jay Weatherill has announced.
Construction of the $650 million plant will start in 2018.
Concentrated Solar Power Simple Explanation
Aurora facts:
- 150-megawatt solar thermal power with eight hours of storage
- Plant will deliver 495 gigawatt hours of power annually, or 5 per cent of SA’s energy needs
- Equivalent to powering more than 90,000 homes
- Located 30 kilometres north of Port Augusta
- Company says it is “completely emission free”
Mr Weatherill said the Aurora Solar Energy Project would be ready to go in 2020 and would supply 100 per cent of the State Government’s needs.
The Government will pay a maximum of $78 per megawatt hour.
Mr Weatherill said the solar thermal plant was “the biggest of its kind in the world”.
“Importantly, this project will deliver more than 700 jobs, with requirements for local workers,” he said…….
A 150-megawatt solar thermal power plant has been secured for Port Augusta in South Australia, State Premier Jay Weatherill has announced.
Construction of the $650 million plant will start in 2018.
Mr Weatherill said the Aurora Solar Energy Project would be ready to go in 2020 and would supply 100 per cent of the State Government’s needs.
The Government will pay a maximum of $78 per megawatt hour.
Mr Weatherill said the solar thermal plant was “the biggest of its kind in the world”.
“Importantly, this project will deliver more than 700 jobs, with requirements for local workers,” he said.
Mirrors to direct sunlight onto tower
Solar thermal uses heliostats, or mirrors, to concentrate sunlight onto a tower that heats molten salt. The heat created is then used to generate steam.
Solar Reserve said the plant will be able to provide between eight and 10 hours of storage and had no requirement for gas or oil generated electricity as a backup.
It is expected to employ 50 full-time workers on an ongoing basis once it is operational.
The company said the power station will operate in a similar fashion to a coal or gas station, meaning many of the jobs would “require the same skill sets”.
Mr Smith said he looked forward to supporting “federal and state renewable energy targets”. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-14/solar-thermal-power-plant-announcement-for-port-augusta/8804628
Parliament passes Bill accusing government of failing to protect Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef
Australian government can’t be trusted with Great Barrier Reef, says parliament
Climate Home, 15/08/2017, Government loses vote on bill noting the government’s ‘failure to protect’ reef on day of chaos in Canberra, By Karl Mathiesen
Australia’s parliament has passed a bill admonishing the government for failing to protect the Great Barrier Reef from climate change.
In a rare event in Australia’s ultra-partisan parliament, the government failed to vote down its own bill on Tuesday evening, after the opposition Labor party attached the amendment.
Labor’s amendment read:
“…the House notes that:
(1) the Government is failing to protect Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef by:
(a) failing to act on climate change;
(b) supporting the Liberal National Party in Queensland in blocking reef protections aimed at halting the broad scale clearing of trees and remnant vegetation; and
(c) winding back ocean protection, put in place by Labor, around Australia and specifically in the Coral Sea; and
(2) this Government cannot be trusted to protect the Great Barrier Reef and fight for Australia’s unique environment.”
The original bill, to which Labor attached the highly-politicised language, was a technical amendment to the act that established the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
The reef, which stretches 2,300km down the northeastern coastline of the continent, has been severely damaged by consecutive bleaching events in the past two years. The death of 22% of corals in 2016 was followed this year by a second bleach, leaving scientists questioning the survival of the wonder.
Coral bleaching is caused by elevated water temperatures, which is why climate change is seen as an existential threat to coral reef systems around the world. But the recovery of bleached reefs can be assisted by management of other pressures, including overfishing and pollution.
The Australian and Queensland governments have been criticised by Unesco, the UN body that oversees the World Heritage site, for failing to stop agricultural runoff from impacting the ecosystem. A draft report released in June noted with “serious concern” that “progress toward achieving water quality targets has been slow”.
The Department of Environment and Energy press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Labor amendment…….http://www.climatechangenews.com/2017/08/15/australian-government-cant-trusted-protect-great-barrier-reef-says-parliament/
In India, Customs Department accuses Adani of fraud, as Adani bids forAustralian coal loan
If true, one effect of the alleged scheme would have been to move vast sums of money from the Adani Group’s domestic accounts into offshore bank accounts where it could no longer be taxed or accounted for.
Adani mining giant faces financial fraud claims as it bids for Australian coal loan, Exclusive: Allegations by Indian customs of huge sums being siphoned off to tax havens from projects are contained in legal documents but denied by company, Guardian, Michael Safi in Delhi, 16 Aug 17, A global mining giant seeking public funds to develop one of the world’s largest coal mines in Australia has been accused of fraudulently siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars of borrowed money into overseas tax havens.
Indian conglomerate the Adani Group is expecting a legal decision in the “near future” in connection with allegations it inflated invoices for an electricity project in India to shift huge sums of money into offshore bank accounts.
The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) file, compiled in 2014, maps out a complex money trail from India through South Korea and Dubai, and eventually to an offshore company in Mauritius allegedly controlled by Vinod Shantilal Adani, the older brother of the billionaire Adani Group chief executive, Gautam Adani.
Vinod Adani is the director of four companies proposing to build a railway line and expand a coal port attached to Queensland’s vast Carmichael mine project.
The proposed mine, which would be Australia’s largest, has been the source of years of intense controversy, legal challenges and protests over its possible environmental impact.
Expanding the coal port to accommodate the mine will require dredging an estimated 1.1m cubic metres of spoil near the Great Barrier Reef marine park. Coal from the mine will also produce annual emissions equivalent to those of Malaysia or Austria according to one study.
One of the few remaining hurdles for the Adani Group is to raise finance to build the mine as well as a railway line to transport coal from the site to a port at Abbot Point on the Queensland coast.
To finance the railway Adani hopes to persuade the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (Naif), an Australian government-backed investment fund, to loan the Adani Group or a related entity about US$700m (A$900m) in public money.
While it awaits the decision on the loan, in Delhi the company is also expecting the judgment of a legal authority appointed under Indian financial crime laws in connection to allegations it siphoned borrowed money overseas.
The Adani Group fully denies the accusations, which it has challenged in submissions to the authority.
The investigation
News of the investigation was first reported in India three years ago, but the full customs intelligence document reveals forensic details of the workings of the alleged fraud which have not been publicly revealed.
The 97-page file accuses the Adani Group of ordering hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of equipment for an electricity project in western India’s Maharashtra state using a front company in Dubai.
To read the pdf click here. Continue reading
Port Augusta local community welcome greenlighting of solar thermal power plant
Solar thermal power plant supporters and locals welcome greenlighting of Port Augusta project, ABC North and West , By Khama Reid 14 Aug 17 The Port Augusta community and its clean energy supporters have welcomed the news that the world’s largest solar thermal power station will be built in the region.
It was announced yesterday that US operator Solar Reserve would build the 150 megawatt power station known as the Aurora Solar Energy Project at Carriewerloo Station, about 330 kilometres north of Adelaide……
The Government and company attended a public meeting at Port Augusta where they were met with applause and cheering…..
Local Aboriginal leader Malcolm ‘Tiger’ McKenzie said he could see many opportunities in the project to boost employment for Aboriginal people.
“We’re 30 per cent of the population but we don’t participate in the workforce as much,” he said.
Mr McKenzie said he wanted to work with the Government and Solar Reserve to get the best employment outcomes.
“It’s a modern Australia now. We as Aboriginal people have got to maximise opportunities to live in this country and that’s having a job, having an education and contribute.”……
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-15/port-augusta-welcomes-solar-thermal-power-plant-announcement/8810394
16 August More REneweconomy news
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How solar tower and storage won on costsSolarReserve says its winning solar tower and molten salt storage project can deliver dispatchable, renewable power at just $78/MWh. Why so low?
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Senvion installs first prototype of 3.4M140 EBCSuccessful completion of optimised turbine for low wind sites.
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Younicos-designed WEMAG battery park successfully “black starts” grid on first attemptProject partners for Europe’s first commercial battery plant to bring innovative black start concept to market maturity/Younicos software manages reliable re-establishment of power grid.
World first: shareholders sue Commonwealth Bank of Australia for misleading shareholders over climate risks
Climate change is a financial risk, according to a lawsuit
against the CBA The Conversation, August 16, 2017 , Anita Foerster, Senior Research Fellow, University of Tasmania, Professor of Environmental and Climate Law, University of Melbourne The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has been in the headlines lately for all the wrong reasons. Beyond money-laundering allegations and the announcement that CEO Ian Narev will retire early, the CBA is now also being sued in the Australian Federal Court for misleading shareholders over the risks climate change poses to their business interests.
This case is the first in the world to pursue a bank over failing to report climate change risks. However, it’s building on a trend of similar actions against energy companies in the United States and United Kingdom.
Adelaide Advertiser (!) applauds decision for Port Augusta solar thermal power plant
The Advertiser Editorial, August 15, 2017: Solar plant can take heat off our power http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/the-advertiser-editorial-august-15-2017-solar-plant-can-take-heat-off-our-power/news-story/6387fb2661ae5f0795d675d893e22b7c?nk=ba26857f63080120cbd5fc74c94d3959-1502867091
16 August REneweconomy news
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Coal rift? Coalition sends mixed message on new coal powerFederal treasurer says cheap new coal power a “myth”, federal energy minister says it must be considered – even if the market disagrees.
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Tesla Tiny House goes on tourPowerwall, as part of the newly created Tesla Tiny House is hitting the road and making its way around Australia.
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CommBank to face new shareholder resolution after climate policy failMarket Forces will lodge a new shareholder resolution against Commonwealth Bank after its climate change position statement released today fell well short of its publicly-made 2 degree commitments.
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Victorian EV conversion company secures CEFC backingSEA Electric says $5m CEFC loan will help meet growing demand for technology that converts commercial trucks and vans to electric vehicles.
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Failed experiment: Now it’s retail arms gaming energy consumersFirst it was the networks, then generators. Now it’s the retail arms gouging consumers. A bipartisan review of Victoria’s retail electricity market reveals a failed experiment that has delivered the most inflated power bills in Australia.Mount Emerald Wind Farm reaches major construction milestoneConstruction at the $360 million Mount Emerald Wind Farm near Mareeba reached an important milestone last week when the first of 53 turbine foundations was put in place.First Solar Awarded 241MW module supply contract for edify energy solar projects in AustraliaCompany to deliver more than 500MW in Australia over the next 12 Months
Australia’s national security impacted by climate change: Senate investigation
Senate investigates climate change’s impact on national security http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/4849605/climate-change-security-impacts/, 
@MichelleWisbey1, 13 Aug 2017,Climate change could become a “driver of poverty and inequality” and a threat to Australia’s security if it is not addressed, a senate committee was told.
The call came as submissions closed for an inquiry examining the implications of climate change on national security. Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie sits on the committee and said defence had been proactive in the area, but needed to be better. “Defence needs to work more productively with local government and businesses in terms of defence procurement to ensure everyone is meeting environmental standards,” she said. “I would like to see voluntary national service implemented to ensure when natural disasters strike, we have the numbers to support SES and the communities affected.”
The inquiry will also investigate the capacity of national security agencies to respond to the risks of climate change, as well as the role of climate mitigation policies.
The Climate Council said in its submission to the inquiry that climate change posed a growing threat to human well-being, and would go on to put the Australian Defence Force under significant pressure. “These events affect individuals and societies through the displacement of people, damage to critical infrastructure, and damage to health and livelihoods,” it said. “The ADF will increasingly be called upon to deliver humanitarian assistance in response to extreme weather and its impacts both at home and overseas.”
Former Defence Force chief Chris Barrie said urgent action was needed to mitigate the “potentially disastrous consequences” of not taking action. “We are approaching a time soon when there will be a serious possibility that no amount of effort in deploying the limited resources we have available will be able to ameliorate the national security problems and challenges we are confronting,” Admiral Barrie said.
World Vision Australia recommended that a Climate Change Strategy for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade be developed and implemented.“The impact of climate change on vulnerable communities in the Asia-Pacific region is of concern to Australia, and left unaddressed will likely become a driver of poverty and inequality,” it said. “Over time, this will have implications for the security and stability of Australia’s region.”
1 This month.
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
19 May – Webinar- Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-05-19 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-05-19 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent
National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action
Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,
Facilitator Kelley Tranter.
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 