Greens MP David Shoebridge has joined local candidate Harriett Swift in calling on the NSW government and opposition to place a halt on the development application for the Eden chipmill’s wood fired power station until a full carbon analysis has been conducted.
Mr Shoebridge, who is also the Greens lead Upper House candidate at the March elections, said the application for the power station had been conducted in a secretive way that gave the Greens no confidence that the community and environmental interests had been properly considered.
“However one thing we do know is that it failed to fully and accurately assess climate impacts of burning native forest wood.
“It is just not good enough to hide behind the word ‘waste’ because we all know that without a million tonnes of woodchipping there would be no ‘waste’ for the fuel, “ Mr Shoebridge said.
“We also have concerns about whether the plant proposed would have sufficient safeguards against toxic emissions which may reach the town of Eden,” he said.
“This proposed power station, if it goes ahead, will be Australia’s first wood fired power station since the 19th century. It is important that the process is above reproach.”
Mr Shoebridge visited the Bega electorate last week to support Ms Swift’s campaign, attend a meeting of the Bega Valley Greens and tour forest areas lined up for logging later this year.
Ms Swift addressed Bega Valley Shire Council last week to oppose a motion moved by Councillor Pat Campbell recognising the economic contribution to the shire of the forest industry and recording council’s support for the industry.
She said that NSW taxpayers paid $14.4 million a year to bail out native forest logging in NSW, and that in the southeast alone, woodchipping lost NSW taxpayers about $5 million every year.
If the woodchipping industry paid even a modest carbon tax of $20 a tonne as recommended by Professor Ross Garnaut for the CO2 it releases into the atmosphere, it would be clocking up a bill of almost $1 million a day, Ms Swift claimed.
She said the industry was living on borrowed time and government was doing its workers no favours by propping it up. Ways must be found for those works to leave the woodchipping industry with dignity and assisted to do something else.
New Zealand had stopped native forest logging more than 10 years ago and far from the sky falling in, the economy had boomed in areas that gave up logging.
Ms Swift said that the same thing was happening in Western Australia, first in Pemberton and now in Munjimup where Gunns was closing down one of the last of its native forest mills and suggested that these communities should be asked how they adapted.
Councillor Keith Hughes, who spoke against the motion during the council meeting said: “We need a reality check; if Gunns can’t make a go of it, what chance is there for SEFE?”
Councillor Graeme Wykes felt that the subject matter was too political for council to have a view on.
“This is out of our sphere. We should not have a position on this. It is our job to support our communities,” he said.
But Cr Campbell said: “We can support our communities; this is what this is about. Forestry is vital to Eden. This is about the people of this shire.”
The motion supporting the industry was passed by council with Crs Keith Hughes and Liz Seckold voting against it.
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