Hundreds of Victorians rallied at Parliament House today calling for the Napthine Government to cancel plans for a brown coal allocation and coal export industry for the Latrobe Valley.
At the rally, a petition signed by 8000 Victorians opposed to a coal allocation and exports was presented to the Parliament and will be tabled this week.
The Napthine Government is currently considering allocating 13 billon tonnes of Latrobe Valley brown coal, the equivalent of 13 new mines the size of the Hazelwood mine, in attempts to try to establish a brown coal export industry. The state and federal governments are also on the verge of handing over $90 million of taxpayers’ money for new polluting brown coal projects.
Environment Victoria Safe Climate Campaign Manager Dr Nicholas Aberle told the crowd at the rally:
“It’s bad enough that we’re still burning dirty brown coal in power stations here in Victoria. But Victoria shouldn’t further damage efforts to tackle climate change by exporting our low quality brown coal to other countries.
“The atmosphere doesn’t care where the pollution comes from.
“Brown coal exports would also be bad news for local landowners, who risk having mining licences slapped on their land. The prospect of new coal mines is a disaster for farming communities and food production, with productive agricultural land at risk of being ripped up for new coal mines” he said.
“A brown coal export industry will be terrible for road congestion and air quality in major towns and cities with coal trains and trucks rumbling around the state from mines to ports.
“Brown coal has had its day. It’s time for the state government to abandon its reckless plans for a coal allocation and listen to the majority of Victorians who want clean, safe energy for a clean, safe climate” said Dr Aberle.
For further information or comment
Nicholas Aberle, Safe Climate Campaign Manager 0402 512 121
Read about the campaign to Protect Victoria from brown coal exports here >