Hazelwood decision is shocking response to climate change threat
06 Sep 2005
Future generations of Australians will pay the price for today's short-sighted decision by the Victorian Government to extend the life of Australia's most polluting power station, WWF, the global conservation organisation, says.
Analysis by WWF released in July found Victoria's out-dated Hazelwood power plant to be the most polluting station of its scale in the industrialised world.
"Future governments and future generations of Victorians will regret today's short-sighted decision," said Anna Reynolds, Climate Change Manager.
"Climate change is the biggest threat to our way of life and a smart and progressive State like Victoria should be trying to fix the problem not adding to it."
Hazelwood produces more carbon per unit of electricity than the dirtiest plants in the United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan.
Today's decision by the Victorian Government to provide Hazelwood with new coal and extend the life of the plant to 2031 will add more than 400 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
"With this decision, the Victorian Government is adding fuel to the fire of global warming," Ms Reynolds said.
"Only when government's start the transition away from polluting power stations will we have a chance to minimise the damage and chaos of climate change."
WWF says the decision to extend Hazelwood shows that the Victorian Government has not sufficiently understood the need to urgently start the transition to clean energy.
"We recognise the need for government's to make practical decisions but in a warming world those decisions must also at least attempt to start reducing emissions - this decision does not do that," Ms Reynolds said.
WWF released a report in 2004 documenting the clean energy resources available in Victoria.
The study, entitled Towards Victoria's Clean Energy Future, showed how Victoria could access by 2010 the same amount of power as provided by Hazelwood from using a combination of energy conservation, renewable energy and gas-fired power stations.
WWF said today's decision by the Victorian Government would be a costly one - both in terms of the carbon liability now hanging over the State, as well as the costs that will inevitably come from climate change.
For more information
Charlie Stevens, WWF Communications Officer
Ph: (02) 8202 1274
Email: cstevens@wwf.org.au
