Climate crisis must be considered
Newcastle Greens
29 November 2006
Climate crisis must be considered
Greens candidate for Newcastle, Cr Michael Osborne, has welcomed the landmark decision of Judge Nicola Pain in the Land and Environment Court, that climate change impacts of burning coal extracted from coal mines must be considered by the NSW Government as part of the environmental assessment process.
Cr Osborne said “Environmentalist, Peter Gray who took the test case to the Land and Environment Court and won - deserves congratulations as do the environmental groups who supported Peter in his courageous stand.
“It is unbelievable that the full impacts of coal and the climate crisis are not already being taken into account by the State Government.
“The Greens have been in the forefront of warning about the climate crisis and the need for ecologically sustainable development. Greens MP Lee Rhiannon, candidate for the NSW Upper House has been tireless in exposing the dangers to the Hunter Valley of the unbridled expansion of mining. Following the Anvil Hill decision, Greens Senator Christine Milne will move “a greenhouse trigger amendment” to the Federal Government’s environmental bill to be debated in Parliament this week.
“The major parties are starting to talk about climate, but when it comes down to it, they're as stuck as they ever were in their old ways.
“The NSW Government has been giving lip service to the climate crisis, while backing the expansion of coal mining in the region and throughout the State.
The Sydney-appointed ALP candidate for Newcastle Jodi McKay has been quoted in The Newcastle Herald as saying that she will not turn her back on coal.
Independent candidate John Tate refused to support motions recently proposed by Greens councillors and passed by Newcastle Council calling on NSW Government to establish a cap on coal exports from Newcastle at existing levels and to place a moratorium on new coal approvals at Anvil Hill and elsewhere in NSW. These motions attracted national and international attention because of Newcastle’s infamous position as the world’s largest exporter of coal.
“Greens policies support a just transition from coal in stages, allowing communities to gradually restructure their local economies, which have become unhealthily dependent on coal, which is witnessing a steady decline in jobs and threatens other vital industries in the Hunter, like horse stud breeding, wine growing and tourism. Greens policies support investment in alternative energy producing technologies which offer the prospect of more jobs than coal.
“The Anvil Hill decision gives inspiration to the growing opposition in the Hunter Valley and world wide to the polluting industries which are threatening the future of our planet. The State Govt will now have to take account of greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal - including the 80 % which is exported .Even NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor has admitted that the decision has implications for other industries, including steel mills, electricity plants and even toll ways.”
