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Powerlines Action Group Eumundi (PAGE) will be meeting with the Queensland Minister for Mines and Energy, Mr Geoff Wilson, in Brisbane on 26 August 2008 to discuss the community’s opposition to Powerlink’s proposed Eerwah Vale powerline project in the Noosa Hinterland.

PAGE believes this project is at odds with the way in which future energy supply and demand needs to be managed on the Sunshine Coast. The projections which are being used as a basis for justifying the project take little or no account of managing demand or the real possibilities of more efficient local generation to meet supply requirements.

PAGE is encouraged by the Minister’s recent statements that “although Queensland’s [coal fired] power stations are among the most advanced in Australia, they are earmarked to be closed down within 20 years… producing cleaner, greener energy will increase the cost of electricity to consumers, but it is a fair price to pay to combat global warming.”

The coordinator of PAGE, Graham Smith, said “We are taking Minister Wilson at his word and hope that his agreement to talk to the community is motivated by the Bligh Governments desire to actually do something about energy management and climate change.

This could be a win-win situation for the State Government. ‘The Sunshine Coast is at a turning point and has the opportunity to lead the way in moving towards a less carbon intensive and a more effective distributed energy solution, The State Government could join with the Regional Council, and provide the necessary leadership’, he said.

Dr John Cronin, PAGE representative said “We would like to understand how the Minister will address the infrastructure planning issues raised in the recent Garnaut report and alter the policy framework to address the future of distributed energy, the likely impacts of this on energy planning and on projects such as Powerlink’s Eerwah Vale proposal.”

Dr Cronin also suggested that producing cleaner, greener energy need not necessarily lead to increased cost for consumers as suggested by the minister. Distributed energy solutions in other countries are proving to be up to ten percent cheaper than centralized grid supplied energy.

PAGE will also raise the community’s concerns over the existing consultation process being conducted by Powerlink and their consultants, Parsons Brinckerhoff Pty Ltd.

Dr Cronin said “We would like to make the Minister aware of the inadequacies of the existing consultation process and find ways to make this meaningful. The local community and the Regional Council want the most efficient and effective environmental energy supply for the Sunshine Coast.”