Environment Minister promises to meet Ravenshoe residents over Chalumbin Windfarm
AUSTRALIA’s Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, has promised Bob Katter that she will meet with Ravenshoe residents who are attempting to block the construction of the Chalumbin Windfarm, due to concerns with its impact on native flora and fauna.
The Environment Minister can block development projects under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and will have the final say on whether Chalumbin Windfarm progresses.
“The Minister has agreed to visit North Queensland go over the proposals which I consider to be soul-destroying projects,” Mr Katter said.
“There are applications and proposals for a discontinuous line of windfarms stretching for 230km from the back of Ingham to the back of Cairns. “To quote one of the speakers from the recent rally in Cairns, ‘Their proposals turn our natural wonderland into an industrial wasteland.’ There is no doubt in my mind that in 20 years’ time those windmills will not be generating power. The economics are appallingly bad.
“It will be an environmental disaster. The most abundant proliferation of birdlife in Australia is in North Queensland’s jungle. These windfarms will form a bird killing wall. There will also be massive erosion from the 70-metre-wide roadways which will be needed on top of our mountains.
“Queensland is the ‘chop down the trees’ capital of Australia. We are chopping down the trees to make the Chinese solar factories rich, and to make a whole lot of land sharks a hell of a lot of money. All it will do is trash out natural wonderland. Barely a job will be created.”
Mr Katter said building the windfarms will lock North Queensland into the most expensive power on earth. “The Finkle Report said the cost of existing coal power is $20 a megawatt hour, whilst the cost of solar and wind is between $84 and a $100 a megawatt hour,” he said.
“We will also be locked into intermittent supply. You will only be able to watch TV and turn the lights on during the daytime”
Mr Katter said the ‘greenie-fanatics’ were destroying the environment with their windfarm proposals in areas that contained high amounts of biodiversity and should look into alternatives.
“I don’t oppose the proposed windfarm at Hughenden, in inland North Qld, which will generate power at $40 a megawatt hour as it does not pose a major problem to native flora and fauna.” Mr Katter said.
“I am also a strong supporter of algae pond technology which removes Co2 from the atmosphere and creates algae which can be used as feedstock for cattle, pigs and chooks.
“The other House of Representatives crossbenchers and I have also drafted a Sovereign Fuel Security Bill which if implemented would introduce ethanol into our fuel supply, turn waste into diesel and would enable the building of electric cars in Australia for metropolitan areas.”
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