'Smart state' leaders take huge backward step
21 May 2004
The decision to approve a new coal fired power station announced today by Premier Peter Beattie is a backward step and a disaster for Queensland's natural treasures, according to WWF.
A new $1.1 billion power station will be built at Kogan Creek, near Chinchilla in southern Queensland, following approval from the state government today.
Premier Peter Beattie told parliament go ahead had been given to the state-owned CS Energy project, which would be fully operational by September 2007.
WWF said that coal-fired power stations are Australia's biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions - and it is carbon dioxide emissions that are slowly bleaching the Great Barrier Reef to death. Recent studies predicted up to 95 per cent of the Reef could be destroyed from climate change-induced coral bleaching.
Greenhouse gas emissions are not the only problem. The new power station will also require water from the already fully-allocated Condamine-Balonne system -the Kogan Creek project will come at the expense of existing water-users.
The announcement is a broken promise by Premier Beattie who assured Queenslanders that there would be no new coal-fired power stations in Queensland, unless they were really needed and no alternatives existed.
In 2000, Premier Beattie announced a forward-looking new Energy Policy for a smart state. The key feature of the policy was that by 2005, 15 per cent of all electricity must come from sources other than coal (about 2 per cent from renewables, and 13 per cent from gas).
Premier Beattie told Queenslanders there would be no new coal-fired power stations, except under unspecified exceptional circumstances. These circumstances have not been outlined in the approval of Kogan Creek.
"Where is the Government analysis investigating whether there is new demand, and whether this could be met by energy efficiency or cleaner energy sources?" climate change campaign manager Anna Reynolds said.
Governments have cited climate change concerns as a reason for rejecting highly polluting coal fired power stations in Australia and around the world. In 2003, the NSW Government rejected the Redbank power station because of concerns about its level of greenhouse gas emissions.
"This is a huge backward step by the Queensland government when climate change is such a major concern for Queensland's economy and environment. Approving a coal fired power station in a warming world is like putting out a fire with petrol," Ms Reynolds said.
For media enquiries call:
Andy Ridley, WWF Senior Manager Communications. Ph: +61 2 8202 1237, 0415 865 992 or aridley@wwf.org.au
Jacqueline McArthur, WWF Communications Officer. Ph: +61 2 82021242, 0408 626 780 or jmcarthur@wwf.org.au
