Keep Wind Energy Going Strong In Victoria

Important news from Protect Our Winters:

In November 2010, the Australian state of Victoria had a change in government. The Liberal-National Coalition replaced the Australian Labor Party, who had been in power for 11 years. It has already started to implement a number of environmental policies, none of which have been well received by the local environment movement.

At this point, Victoria relies on very polluting brown coal to meet almost all of its energy needs. Wind energy is the single most effective way to start to reduce greenhouse emissions in Victoria.

However, the new government has said that it intends to implement its wind farm policy – which will close large areas of the state to future wind projects. It would be tragic to see an end to further development of this job rich, low emissions industry.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION!!!

Please email a note to:
Hon. Ted Baillieu
Premier of Victoria
ted.baillieu@parliament.vic.gov.au

Hon. Ryan Smith
Minister for Environment and Climate Change
Ryan.Smith@parliament.vic.gov.au

Key communication points:

• Congratulate them on their election to government

• Urge them to re-consider their policy on wind farms

• Remind them that the Clean Energy Council (CEC), which is the industry group for the renewables industry, has already noted that if the Coalition policy was enacted, it would put “thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of energy projects … at risk”.

• State your support in wind farms and renewables in general, and you expect any responsible government to encourage the development of these industries, not close them down.

• Any personal connection and motivations to ensure we stop climate change. Global warming is expected to impact greatly on our alpine areas, and with the loss of a regular snow season, local economies will be devastated.

• Remind them that climate science tells us that we only have this decade to turn global emissions around. We will not be able to do this if we stop the expansion of the wind farm sector.