ACCIONA Energy (formerly known as EHN Oceania Pty Ltd) today announced that it will not proceed with its initial proposal for a wind farm along the Molonglo Range located 15kms south east of Queanbeyan and 25kms from Canberra. The decision follows ACCIONA Energy’s detailed evaluation of the proposed site over a period of years.

The wind farm, first proposed in 2004, was for up to 60 wind turbines with the capacity to generate green electricity to supply about 45,000 homes and avoid the production of over 245,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. Extensive technical studies, environmental assessments and consultation with the community were carried out during 2004 and 2005. (more…)

It was a bad day for the planning system in state parliament as Minister Sartor introduced new pro-developer laws into the Lower House at the same time as the major parties combined in the Upper House to bury a Greens Bill banning political donations from property developers.

“Once again the Labor Party has shown that it is addicted to donations from property developers and that it will repay those donations with pro-developer laws,” said Sylvia Hale, the NSW Greens MP and planning spokesperson. (more…)

The NSW Coalition’s conditions on the power sell-off will have no teeth unless they support the Greens’ move to force the matter into parliament, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “The Greens are deeply disappointed that Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell and his Deputy Andrew Stoner have caved into pressure from the government and the big end of town and given qualified endorsement for electricity privatisation. (more…)

The Tasmanian Greens today are appalled by the latest Lennon government deal for its corporate mates, which puts a price of $15million on democracy through its imposition of a financial penalty on the taxpayers of Tasmania if a future government wants to implement the will of the community to protect further high conservation value forests or allocate forest for carbon sequestration rather than for Gunns’ unpopular pulp mill. (more…)

A Global Greens secretariat, to exchange information between the world’s 80 Greens parties, is likely to be established in Australia, Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown said in Sao Paulo today.

The Second Global Greens Congress voted Sunday morning in Sao Paulo, Brazil to adopt the Australian initiative for the secretariat, subject to final plans being approved in March 2009. (more…)

NSW Premier Morris Iemma has been misled by the myth that the lights will go out without electricity privatisation. He is facing an uphill battle that could end in political humiliation, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “There is no guarantee that Premier Iemma will be able to privatise the electricity industry.

“Whichever way he proceeds with the sale he will encounter formidable opposition that could stop his plans and damage his government.

“Premier Iemma would have squandered a lot of money and goodwill for no good reason. (more…)

NSW Premier Morris Iemma will face dire political consequences if he proceeds with his plans to sell-off the state’s electricity industry, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: “The NSW ALP conference is to be congratulated for its overwhelming rejection of the Premier’s plan to privatise the electricity retailers and lease out the generators.

“The Premier and a few of his followers are now very much isolated. Their pet scheme is opposed by the party, the union movement, the Greens and the overwhelming majority of voters. (more…)

Greens NSW MP John Kaye today unveiled his party’s posters, badges, web site and other materials as part of their campaign to stop the NSW government’s privatisation of the electricity industry.

Dr Kaye said: “Premier Morris Iemma has badly underestimated community opposition to electricity industry privatisation.

“We will be working along side unions and community groups to turn that opposition into action. (more…)

Greens MP and roads spokeperson Lee Rhiannon said the NSW Auditor General’s report today, revealing another mismanaged private sector project in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, highlights why the Iemma government must halt its privatisation push and reclaim government’s traditional role of funding, building and managing major infrastructure
projects.

“NSW Labor has ‘hosted’ a string of private sector motorway projects in Sydney, with the public left carrying the can for their incompetent management,” Ms Rhiannon said. (more…)

Shooters Party MP Roy Smith has stymied a parliamentary inquiry into the proposed major overhaul of the planning laws.

Mr Smith voted with government members to stop a parliamentary committee inquiring into the effectiveness of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the implications of the government’s proposals for local councils and communities.

The inquiry had been proposed by NSW Greens MP Sylvia Hale and supported by Opposition members of the committee including the Committee Chair Jenny Gardiner. (more…)