September 18, 2014
Australia

Member for Hume joins Rye Park wind farm protesters

Boorowa News | September 18 2014 | www.boorowanewsonline.com.au

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor joined wind farm protestors from Rye Park, Collector, Tarago and Yass outside the ACT Legislative Assembly in Civic on Tuesday.

Residents of Tarago and Collector lodged petitions – totalling almost 800 signatures – calling on the ACT Government not to fund projects that were opposed by local communities. A community survey was also tabled in the assembly showing 70 per cent of residents objected to a planned wind farm in the Yass Valley.

Mr Taylor said he was keen to support his constituents.

“The ACT Government believes the vast majority of people living in these areas are supportive of wind farms. The reality is they’re not. I represent these communities and the ACT Government needs to hear this message loud and clear,” Mr Taylor said.

“The ACT’s plan to produce 90 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2020 is going to cost the people of Canberra $370 million dollars in extra electricity bills. And it’s deeply questionable as to whether it will have any impact on Australia’s carbon emissions.

“ACT Labor is using communities in my electorate as a dumping ground. As Nicole Lawder (ACT Shadow Environment Minister) said today, they want the bragging rights of being the greenest jurisdiction in the country without any of the adverse consequences.

“There’s certainly a place for renewable energy in the capital region – the real problem with wind is that it’s expensive. The ACT Government’s own documents tell us that they expect the cost per megawatt hour of electricity to be over $100, that’s over three times the cost of conventional energy, so it’s a very expensive way to reduce carbon emissions. The economics and the policy do not stack up.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/09/18/member-for-hume-joins-rye-park-wind-farm-protesters/