We had great news this week as it was announced that Queensland coal-fired power station, Swanbank B, would be closed down. We’ve been calling for it to be closed down for years.
This aging power station, first built in 1971, has been an unnecessary blight on Queensland’s landscape for too long.
In July 2008, I was one of four Greenpeace activists that spent 33 hours occupying one of its 140-metre-high chimney stacks, calling for it to be replaced with basic energy efficiency measures such as the rollout of solar hot water.
Swanbank B’s closure means a reduction in greenhouse pollution equivalent to taking 300,000 cars off the road.
Australia must ensure all new energy comes from renewable sources. Phasing out Swanbank is a step in the right direction but there are currently 12 new coal–fired power stations proposed for Australia. We can’t afford to take one step forward and 12 steps back.
In NSW, two massive new coal-fired power stations are proposed to be built. If they go ahead, it would increase Australia’s emissions by another 20 million tonnes, wiping out the greenhouse benefit of closing Swanbank B 10 times over. Australia urgently needs an Energy Revolution to tackle climate change and the first step is for governments to rule out building any more dirty coal plants like the ones proposed for NSW.
Help us prevent the proposed new coal-fired power stations from being built and ensure Australia makes the transition from dirty coal to clean, renewable energy.
