saveeumundi.org

Local residents yesterday (22 June) had the undivided attention and support of local councillors, when they shone the spotlight on the single biggest challenge facing Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s new vision to become Australia’s most sustainable region.

Invited to present at council’s General Meeting, members of the Powerlines Action Group of Eumundi (PAGE) told councillors of the devastating impacts of high voltage powerlines planned for the region on, among other things, council’s vibrant, green and sustainable ambitions.

“Meeting future demand for power on the Sunshine Coast in a sustainable way is possibly the biggest issue for our community, our council and our time,” said PAGE coordinator Graham Smith.

“A Powerlink proposal locking the coast in to 20-plus years of dirty, coal-fired energy in an effort to meet peak demand, which only occurs about three to four days each year, is outrageous and will contradict any strategy our council rolls out to achieve a sustainable, low carbon economy.

“Yesterday, we therefore called on council to pass a resolution opposing the proposal in defence of our shared visions for cleaner, greener 21st century solutions to meeting our energy needs.

“In response, council rose to the challenge and unanimously agreed to move a resolution opposing the Powerlink proposal, which is scheduled to be ratified at council’s Ordinary Meeting on Thursday.

“We were also impressed that now was the time for council to embrace new technologies and issue an Expression of Interest (EOI) to engage industry specialising in demand management, energy efficiency and local generation with a view to ‘eliminating the need for Powerlink infrastructure’.

“And again, PAGE members were pleased that council agreed and vowed to issue an EOI with the aim of developing solutions contributing to the elimination of the need for the Powerlink project.”

Attending the meeting was Mayor Bob Abbot and Councillors Vivien Griffin, Jenny McKay, Keryn Jones, Lew Brennan, Tim Dwyer, Anna Grosskreutz, Chris Thompson, Ted Hungerford and Russell Green, plus a 30-strong public gallery.

The residents group was also buoyed by a Queensland Government announcement yesterday regarding its Renewable Energy Plan requiring all state-owned energy companies to “… submit a renewable energy network benefit statement detailing where deployment of renewable energy or demand management projects could help avoid building or upgrading electricity networks”.

“We’re now looking forward to Powerlink reviewing the renewable energy network benefit statement relating to this project and the real benefits arising out of this plan,” Mr Smith said.

PAGE, also known as People Advocating Green Energy, is a volunteer group which formed 20 months ago in reply to Powerlink’s proposed 275kV, 70km Woolooga to Cooroy South (Eerwah Vale) Transmission Line and Substation Project, estimated to cost energy consumers $130 million and involve around 440 hectares of hinterland and rural land.

The project also plans to carve a new 8.5km, 60m-wide easement through private property, including 14 dedicated Land for Wildlife properties and precious koala, Richmond Birdwing Butterfly and other vulnerable species’ habitat, from Ridgewood to Eerwah Vale.

PAGE led the development of a viable non-network alternative to the destructive project, which includes significant ‘bankable’ demand management initiatives and scalable, local renewable solar-thermal generation with storage capacity, plus real employment opportunities for locals through the creation of green jobs.

Mr Smith said PAGE members were grateful for the opportunity to present alternatives to council.

“We are a group committed to promoting sustainable ways to meet the Sunshine Coast’s future energy needs, and to working constructively with governments to do so,” he said.

“Council has taken a decisive step towards realising its visions for a green and sustainable Sunshine Coast, and we’re delighted to not only share these ambitions but to also to contribute to finding a solution.”

Other discussion items and outcomes included:

• Powerlink’s proposal would deliver capacity to increase energy consumption by at least 7.5 times current consumption, over-engineering the solution and likely to cause stranded assets
• Proposal would also see an estimated rise of 59% GHG emissions (400,000t CO2-e by 2020) and at least 20 hectares of vegetation cleared in Noosa Biosphere
• Council agreed to continue consulting with Powerlink on their project, especially regarding the project need, population and energy growth projections, and also ensured a strong community voice on this issue by inviting and agreeing to consult with PAGE through council’s Energy Transition Project
• Council agreed to schedule meetings with the relevant Ministers to address the shared concerns over this project
• A clean energy solar-thermal alternative
• Lower impact alternative routes
• Energex’ statements: “…spending on poles and wires is unsustainable. Energy efficiency and demand management are the key”.

For information regarding PAGE’s presentation, email contact@saveeumundi.org and for more information on PAGE and the project visit www.saveemundi.org

The resolution unanimously adopted at the general committee of council is attached for your information.

Extract from council minutes of general meeting 22 June 2009.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

Moved: Councillor V Griffin
Seconded: Councillor L Brennan

That Council:

(a) endorses the Council officers’ submission (Appendix A – Submission on Woolooga to Cooroy Transmission Line and Cooroy South Substation Project
Environmental Impact Statement);

(b) continues to engage with Powerlink and Powerlines Action Group Eumundi (PAGE), through the energy transition working group as this project progresses;

(c) request a follow-up submission providing further information on population projections and Council’s Corporate plan objectives for reducing the region’s greenhouse gas emissions and advising that Council opposes Powerlink infrastructure proposal on the grounds that there are more sustainable initiatives in meeting the regions energy needs in the future;

(d) proceed with the calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from entities who may be able to contribute to eliminating the need for Powerlink infrastructure through the generation of power closer to the projected energy user locations in accordance with s489 of the Local Government Act 1993 and notes that the calling of the EOI will be in the public interest for the following reason:

• it will allow for a full review of future energy production options for Council to consider which are consistent with Council’s goal to be the most sustainable region in Australia;

(e) request the Minister for Energy to undertake a full cost benefit analysis of the Powerlink project, comparing the cost of the proposed distribution infrastructure, together with costs of power generation against the cost of sourcing renewable energy generated closer to user locations and potentially obviating the requirement for the proposed distribution infrastructure; and

(f) request the Chief Executive Officer to investigate the Federal and State demand reduction and renewable energy generation grants and incentives, and assess Council’s eligibility to apply.

Carried.

Ends.