More than 10,000 NSW residents have signed a petition against a proposed gas-fired power plant at Kurri Kurri.
The petition, organised by the Gas Free Hunter Alliance (GFHA), calls on NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean to publicly reject Snowy Hydro’s planning application for the $600M gas plant and work with the community to deliver sustainable benefits and long-term jobs.
“Matt Kean must stand by his calls for NSW to be a renewable energy superpower,” the GFHA said.
“We want this dirty gas plant rejected for its negative impacts on the climate.
“$600M all for the sake of only 10 jobs is an obscene waste of public money.”
The petition lists a series of concerns including environmental impacts caused by a potential gas pipeline running across agricultural land.
“The gas for this power plant could come from Santos’ proposed Narrabri coal seam gas project and be delivered via the proposed Hunter Gas Pipeline, which is slated to run across prime agricultural land from southern QLD to Newcastle in NSW via Narrabri, with a proposed offshoot to the Kurri Kurri site.
“Both the Narrabri Gas Project and the Hunter Gas Pipeline face overwhelming opposition from Traditional Owners and local farmers.”
The petition also touches on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s assertions that NSW prices could rise by 30 per cent if energy companies did not fill the gap left by the 2023 closure of the Liddell Power Station in Muswellbrook.
The Australian Financial Review‘s Political Editor Phillip Coorey said the Government’s estimation of 1000MW to replace the Liddell energy gap was disputed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in September 2020.
The AEMO said only 150MW was needed “to reduce the risk of load shedding and meet standards of reliability once Liddell closes”.
However, the AEMO’s figure was not shared across the entire industry as it was too reliant on battery capability.
The GFHA, which has set a goal of obtaining 15,000 signatures, plans to hand deliver the petition to Minister Kean on Friday, July 23.
Meanwhile, more than 300 Hunter Valley residents have expressed their concerns over the proposed gas plant in a submission organised by the GFHA to the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
Some concerns highlighted in the submission came from respondents from diverse backgrounds and working sectors including mining, environmental science, education and medicine.
Resident Brian Hewitt said he had concerns that living close to the proposed site would lead to direct exposure to emissions.
“We are already exposed to dust from Hunter coal mines and emissions from existing coal-fired power stations. Enough is enough,” Hewitt said.
Another Hunter Valley local Dave Brown said it was “ludicrous” for the Federal Government to be spending money on gas-powered energy when the future was in the renewables industry.
Other residents were concerned about job security and the importance of creating sustainable long-term jobs.
“My family has lived nearby for 50 years. We are nurses, doctors, teachers, tradespeople, students and parents,” Paul Ramzan of Buchanan said.
“We all are outraged at this unjustifiable spending of taxpayers’ money (and) at this missed opportunity to foster jobs for locals transitioning out of the fossil fuel industry.”
GFHA organiser Fiona Lee said she was excited to have the Hunter Valley community’s voices represented in the submission.
“Local people are speaking for themselves on an issue that affects them directly and the state and federal governments need to listen,” Lee said.
“After looking at the survey results and talking to local people, we’ve found strong local concern about the long-term impact on jobs and the local economy if the gas plant is built, and the impact of increased emissions on the climate and on public health, as well as general concerns around what is seen as an inadequate level of consultation with local people.”
Hayley McMahon
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