The Future is Renewable

April 27, 2018

South Australia is currently on track to hit 73% renewable energy by 2030, unless the State Government  interferes massively in the energy markets.

We could do a lot better if the new State Government actively supports the transition to renewables.

Given the Federal Government’s support of coal, and its antipathy to renewables, we need to actively promote renewables and the transformation of our energy markets.

There’s a meeting for FoE members and supporters at 3pm on Monday, April 30th at the common room at Christie Walk to discuss what such a renewables campaign might do. If you’re interested in FoE Adelaide taking up such a campaign, please come along, or email roman to let him know you’re interested (roman.orszanski@foe.org.au)

Adelaide FoE Notes, Renewables, Sustainability

Wentworth against Adani…

March 12, 2018

More than three-quarters of voters in Malcolm Turnbull’s Sydney electorate of Wentworth would support reviewing the environmental approvals for the controversial Adani coalmine, according to a new opinion poll.
A ReachTel survey of 676 residents in the prime minister’s electorate, commissioned by  the Australia Institute, found an emphatic majority favoured a review of the project approvals, including 70% of Liberal voters.
Opposition to the mine is a significant issue in the head-to-head contest between Labor and the Greens in the by-election in Batman

More details: Katherine Murphy in the Guardian.

Note: Election comment this issue (unless otherwise noted) is Authorised by Roman Orszanski, 65 Russell St Adelaide 5000

Adelaide FoE Notes

Where do the parties stand on the proposed Nuclear Waste Dump?

March 12, 2018

Radioactive waste

One of the questions asked of the parties was whether they would

Protect SA from the threat of radioactive waste importation, storage and disposal.

Actively oppose the federal government plan for a radioactive waste facility in SA and support the state Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act 2000 which makes any such facility illegal. Commit to further strengthen this legislation by removing the modified section 13(2).

 

The detailed responses given to the SA Our Future Questionnaire are as follows:

The Greens

11a. Categorically rule out the creation of an international high and/or intermediate level radioactive waste storage and disposal facility  Yes

11b. Actively oppose the federal government plan for a radioactive waste facility in SA                    Yes

11c. Actively support the state Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act 2000. Commit to further strengthen this legislation by removing the modified section 13(2).                           Done! Thanks to Greens Bill

 

The Liberals

11a. Categorically rule out the creation of an international high and/or intermediate level radioactive waste storage and disposal facility  Yes

11b. Actively oppose the federal government plan for a radioactive waste facility in SA                    No response

11c. Actively support the state Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act 2000. Commit to further strengthen this legislation by removing the modified section 13(2).                                                                                    The Liberal Party supports the current act.

SA Best

11a Categorically rule out the creation of an international high and/or intermediate level radioactive waste storage and disposal facility          Yes

11b. Actively oppose the federal government plan for a radioactive waste facility in SA
SA Best recognises the benefits of nuclear medicine and research and supports a responsible approach to radioactive waste management in Australia. However, this must be based on transparent and inclusive processes. SA Best notes community concern and is not supportive of any planned national radioactive waste facility in SA in the absence of full federal government transparency regarding its consultation, selection and assessment processes. Should the federal government fail to demonstrate this SA Best would support using existing state legislation to block the plan.

11c No Response

Labor

No radioactive waste
Actively oppose the federal government plan for a radioactive waste facility in SA and support the state Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act 2000 which makes any such facility illegal. Commit to further strengthen this legislation by removing the modified
section 13(2).

Response

SA Labor has supported changes to the Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act 2000.

We have written to the Turnbull government outlining our strong expectations around community support for any proposed facility, including a veto for the local Aboriginal Community.

The State Labor Government supported an amendment in parliament that affirmed the State’s ban on spending public money on nuclear waste. The Government has also been clear that any Commonwealth nuclear waste facility MUST have the support of the community, including the local Aboriginal community.

Premier Jay Wetherill has recently written to the Turnbull government and made our expectations in this regard very clear, and to request their process include a veto policy for any local Aboriginal community.

513 of the Nuclear Waste Storage Facility (Prohibition) Act 2000 prohibits the expenditure of money on any nuclear waste facility. 513(2) allowed us to spend money on consultation on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission. We recently supported an amendment Bill to remove this clause — but with a modified replacement clause as follows:

Subsection (1 ) does not prohibit the appropriation, expenditure or advancement to a person of public money for the purpose of financing the maintenance or sharing of information or to enable the State to engage with other jurisdictions

This clause means that money cannot be spent on pursuing a nuclear waste facility, but allows us respond to enquiries from the public and to engage with the Commonwealth on their process. Without this amendment, our Act would prohibit us from even talking to the Commonwealth in relation to their process.

 

Adelaide FoE Notes

Where do the parties stand on the top ten environmental issues for South Australia?

March 12, 2018

33 environmental and community organisations scored parties on 36 key environmental issues.

The full response, with details on questions at  https://www.ourfuturesa.org.au

A summary of the “top ten” issues at star_ratings_for_top_10_issues (Out of 50: Liberal 18.5, Labor 21.5, Greens 50, SABest 38.5)

The ACF

The ACF have been handing out their leaflet comparing the parties on pollution, clean energy and protecting nature

 

They note:

  • The Greens are leading the way in South Australia, with five stars for policies on cutting climate pollution, ramping up clean energy and respecting and protecting nature.
  • SA Best made some good commitments on banning oil exploration in the Bight and fracking in the South East, but only back a 50% Renewable Energy Target by 2025, which SA has almost already reached.
  • We found Labor scored well on policies to make SA a global leader on clean energy (a 75% Renewable Energy Target by 2025!), but has a blind spot on banning oil and gas.
  • The Liberal Party scored lowest with 1.5 stars – they’re weak over radioactive waste dumping in SA and want to scrap the Renewable Energy Target.

 

 

 

Solar Citizens

Solar citizens have provided a detailed report on where the parties stand in renewables, and how they respond to issues raised in the Solar Citizens’ Repowering South Australia report. See https://www.solarcitizens.org.au/south_australian_election_guide

Solar Citizens’ Solar Scorecard

See separate entry on the nuclear waste dump issue.

 

Adelaide FoE Notes, FoE

Southpaw Backhander

March 12, 2018

The return of the Liberal Party government in Tasmania with a bare, reduced majority was not an unalloyed catastrophe for the progressive forces in the island State. Labor was returned with an increased minority on an issue of principle, pokies reform. This confirms the strong leadership of Rebecca White, who is arguably well poised to regain government at the next election, circumstances permitting; the Green vote was alarmingly static, not to say worse. There is the consolation that losing with a sound policy at least leaves a legacy to build on. But it is nonetheless a setback for progressive forces in Tasmania and nationally. It once again shows that excessive tension between Labor and the Greens only benefits the Tories, in keeping with the maxim that disunity is death. It is unhealthy that the Hodgeman dynasty administration has been returned to office, with its plans to log wilderness extensively and restrict the democratic right to protest to appease capital. Despite Hodgeman’s denials that the election was bought, there is no doubt that the massive advertising campaign by the gambling lobby, led by the Federal Group which owns the island’s two casinos, was a powerful factor.

Labor and the Greens can now only govern together. Labor’s primary vote has fallen to historic lows, while Bob Brown’s ambitions to `replace the bastards’ are illusory. Labor and the Greens are as doomed to serve the public together as the Liberals and Nationals are condemned to loot the public purse on behalf of vested interests as Coalition partners in crime. As a Tasmanian expat I have been arguing this case like Cassandra since my teenage years in Tasmania during the rise of the Greens in the 1970s. These basic political principles have national implications. As the 2018 Tasmanian General Election shows, they are ignored at the peril of the interested parties and the public, not to mention the environment. And it’s not as if they prevent creative competition and mature political agreements to disagree, so nothing should be allowed to stand in the way on either side. As it is, the Tasmanian electorate has held its nose and marginally voted Liberal after pronouncing a pox on both progressive houses, seeing them as unstable, divided and divisive.

Why have Labor and the Greens defied common sense for so long, destabilizing one another by devouring each other’s vote? Competition from diverse class, philosophical and cultural bases is certainly part of the problem. A certain willfulness too is a common fault; Labor sees the Greens reductively as middle-class, while Green smugness about `old parties’, which must irritate half the electorate over 30, begs the question about the positive value of certain traditions. Both parties must grow out of these bad habits. The progressive cause and the environment itself demand no less.

Dr David Faber Adelaide March 2018

Adelaide FoE Notes, FoE