The Australian Greens today reiterated their strong concerns over the Government’s internet filter plan.

“The Greens position on the Government’s proposed internet filtering plan remains the same - we have serious concerns over the viability of
the scheme being put forward by Communications Minister Conroy,” said Australian Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam. (more…)

The Australian Greens have welcomed news this morning that Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef is likely to be nominated to the World Heritage List in February 2010.

The Senate Environment, Communication and the Arts Committee was told today that the Federal and State governments have been negotiating boundary issues and it was expected that the reef would be nominated by the deadline of 1 February 2010. (more…)

An official from the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry admitted in Estimates hearings today that the Department made an “error” in taking material directly from the Gunns website for a Ministerial Statement.

Minister Burke’s Ministerial Statement on the proposed Gunns Pulp Mill, on 24 June 2009, included several sections which appeared to be taken without reference directly from the Gunns website. (more…)

Former Labor Party Senator Graham Richardson has won this year’s Golden Toaster at The Greens Bad Developer awards night.

The Golden Toaster, named after the notorious Toaster development at Circular Quay, is annually awarded to someone who has made a conspicuous contribution to development in NSW. Mr Richardson beat off strong challenges from the Medich brothers and from the largest political donor in NSW, Bob Rose.

“Mr Richardson impressed the judges with his keenness to maintain his involvement in planning decisions, despite having no particular qualifications in this field,” said Sylvia Hale, NSW Greens MP and spokesperson for Planning. (more…)

Greens MLC Mark Parnell has described the $812 million so-called ‘South Road Superway’ jointly announced today by PM Kevin Rudd and Premier Mike Rann as a hyper-expensive LA-style freeway.

“This is California dreaming,” he said. “Spending almost a billion dollars on an ugly, elevated LA-style freeway is an irresponsible use of taxpayers’ money.

“How does this ‘out of the blue’ project, which is totally out of place in Adelaide’s suburbs, fit into a long term transport plan for South Australia? Where is the Government’s plan to shift freight from road to rail? (more…)

The credibility of NSW government’s claim that two new baseload power stations will be ‘carbon capture ready’ has been destroyed by the Australian government’s refusal to commit to the technology, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Commenting on the Rudd government’s refusal to ban build new coal-fired electricity generators that do not have significant carbon capture and storage (’Britain rebuffed on carbon capture commitment’, Sydney Morning Herald, page 5, 14 October 2009), Dr Kaye said: “The actions of the Federal government have demonstrated a complete lack of faith in the technology that the Rees government is relying on to justify the expansion of fossil-fuel power station in NSW.

“By rebuffing the UK government’s request to insist that all new coal-fired power stations extract their CO2 emissions and bury them underground, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has thrown the NSW government’s electricity generation expansion plans into chaos. (more…)

The Greens are today giving the Rudd Government fully drafted amendments to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme which would make the failed scheme environmentally effective and economically efficient.

The amendments provide the basis for an agreement that the Senate could support with some effort from the Government, but that would also have a meaningful impact on the climate.

“These comprehensive amendments would turn a scheme that locks in failure into an effective and efficient scheme that would play a key role in addressing the climate crisis,” Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said. (more…)

The mining and export of Australian uranium only digs us deeper into the unsolvable conundrum of nuclear waste - while also supporting the growth of nuclear weapons, the Australian Greens say.

Responding to comments this week by Australia’s Co-Chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, Gareth Evans, the Greens’ Nuclear Spokesperson Scott Ludlam said that no one had managed to solve the nuclear waste problem. (more…)

The operator of the Eden woodchip mill has been forced into an embarrassing backdown over claims that its planned native forest fuelled power station would produce ‘Green Power’, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “After a Greens’ complaint to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC), South East Forest Exports (SEFE) have agreed to withdraw a leaflet which uses the expression ‘Green Power’ to promote its proposal for a 5 MW biomass power.

“SEFE’s voluntary withdrawal came after the Greens pointed out that the use of native forestry by-products excludes the proposed development from the GreenPower scheme.

“SEFE was using the worst kind of green-washing. (more…)

Despite plenty of hype and grand promises approaching $2 billion, the Rudd Government has not spent one cent on baseload solar power since it
election, and existing plans look increasingly like “Hollow Men” stunts.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, is detailing the Rudd Government’s grand deception on large scale solar power at the
annual conference of the Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy Society (ANZSES) in Townsville today.

“Prime Minister Rudd’s reputation for making grand announcements and failing to back them up with anything substantial is nowhere more brazen
than in relation to you - Australia’s clean, green and clever solar sector,” Senator Milne told the conference.

“The $1.6 billion Solar Flagships scheme is a prize ‘Hollow Men’ creation. (more…)