Press release – 15 September, 2010Sydney, September 15, 2010 – Greenpeace is calling on the new Gillard Government to live up to its election promises and block the construction of a new brown coal-fired power station.Plans have been released today by the Victorian Environmental Protection Agency for a 600-megawatt brown coal plant to be built in the La Trobe Valley by Dual Gas Pty Ltd (formerly HRL).
“This is the first climate change test for the new Gillard Government,” said Greenpeace campaigner John Hepburn. “For a new brown coal power station to be built in Victoria so soon after Ms Gillard’s election promise to not allow a “dirty coal power station to be built again in Australia” would prove a major embarrassment.”
Despite moves by Dual Gas to lower their previously announced pollution levels in order to slip under the new Victorian Government standard, it will still operate with almost double the average emissions intensity of power stations across the developed world.
“If the Government’s new pollution standard allows this new brown coal fired power stations to be built, it is a sham policy,” said Mr Hepburn.
If approved, the Dual Gas plant will produce millions of tonnes of pollution every year for at least the next 30 years. This casts serious doubt Victoria’s plans to cut emissions by 20% within in a decade.
“This proposal is taking us in the wrong direction and would lock us into another thirty years of pollution.” said Mr Hepburn.
Communications Officer: James Lorenz 0400 376 021