Congratulations Peter Gray

Newcastle environmental activist Peter Gray had a huge win in the NSW Land and Environment Court yesterday.

The climate change impacts of burning coal extracted from coalmines will now have to be considered by the NSW Government as part of the environmental assessment and approvals process.

Greens MP and mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon says if Premier Iemma wants to convince the electorate he is committed to averting climate change he must deny approval for the proposed Anvil Hill coalmine following yesterday's court decision.

"The government must drop its plan to use new legislation passed last week to overturn the Land and Environment court's decision on Anvil Hill and commit to evaluating all new coalmines in terms of their greenhouse gas emissions," Ms Rhiannon said.

"Premier Iemma cannot claim climate change as a key election issue while approving this mine that will produce more emissions than come from all vehicles on NSW roads every year.

"The Greens congratulate Peter Gray for taking on the NSW government and achieving his aim of having greenhouse emissions considered as part of the planning process.

"If the government chooses to ignore the court's decision and the environmental impact of emissions from the proposed mine it does so at its own electoral peril.

"Only yesterday a government survey showed people in NSW rate the environment as the third most important issue in their lives, following family and friends.

"Whether Anvil Hill goes ahead or not is now symbolic of the government's sincerity on climate change.

"People have woken up to the threat of climate change and want governments to actively address it.

"Putting on a climate change caring face and committing to greenhouse reduction and renewable energy targets, while driving the coal industry's expansion, will not wash.

"The Anvil Hill mine will increase Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent.

"If Planning Minister Frank Sartor approves the mine he will have a tough time trying to justify his decision to the public, particularly as the March 2007 election approaches," Ms Rhiannon said.

Greens Polling Well in NSW

Two polls out today show strong support for the Greens in NSW.

Theparty is on track to play a key role in the coming election, Greens MPand lead Upper House candidate Lee Rhiannon said today.

The Greens are on 9 per cent in the Galaxy Research poll and on 11 percent in the Herald/ACNielsen poll."These polls are further indication of the momentum building for theGreens around Australia," Ms Rhiannon said.

"These polls reflect the strong support we are picking up from diversesections of the community for our stand on a range of issues thatinclude addressing the causes of climate change, opposition toWorkChoices and accountability for all MPs."

"If these poll results carry through to election day the Greens areset to play a key balance of power role in the Upper House."

"We remain the underdog in our targeted inner city Lower House seatsbut these polls certainly give our members and supporters a boost."

"Greens preferences are set to be critical in a number of Lower Houseseats. History shows that the Greens NSW do not preference theCoalition parties. We will be watching Labor's actions closely in thecoming months."

"Our voters want to see action from the NSW Labor government not justempty promises."

"Now Labor has committed to sourcing more of this state's energy fromrenewable sources they need to take the next step and wind back thecoal industry."

"Public services continue to languish under this government. Labormust not desert its responsibility for building quality publicservices like transport, education and health across the state," MsRhiannon said.

Our Rights at Work

At our Newcastle Greens Local Group meeting on Saturday 18 November, 2006 it was resolved that:

This meeting:

1. supports the rebuilding of a fair and just system of industrial relations in Australia. The key ingredients of equitable industrial relations include:

o the replacement of a regime of conflict and intimidation with one of respect and cooperation;
o a guarantee of the rights of workers and their unions including the right to bargain collectively, be represented by a union, to strike, to secure employment, to free expression without fear of reprisal and to a safe workplace with decent pay and conditions; and
o the restoration of a strong system of industry-wide comprehensive awards.

2. supports the repeal of Australian Workplace Agreements and the Howard government’s industrial relations legislation.

3. commits to developing a broad-based community campaign to work for an equitable industrial relations system.

4. resolves to actively support community events, protests and strike action, including solidarity on picket lines where workers are under attack, and to build broad-based opposition to the Federal Government’s industrial relations regime.

5. acknowledges the steps taken by the Iemma government to protect certain workers in NSW from some aspects of the Howard industrial relations regime and calls on NSW Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca to extend this protection by introducing legislation that will:

o restore the right of unions to enter workplaces,
o strengthen occupational health and safety laws, and
o protect apprentices and trainees.

6. supports the formation of workplace committees across unions to strengthen opposition to WorkChoices.

7. calls on all progressive political parties and organisations to work together to defeat the Howard government and to create a new industrial relations system.

The Greens encourage all people interested in safeguarding the rights of workers now and into the future to attend Australia-wide rallies on November 30 in opposition to the Howard government’s “WorkChoices".

The rally in Newcastle is at Energy Australia Stadium, and begins at 8.30am.

See you there!

The Orkopolis Dam

Newcastle Greens - Media Release

The State Government’s announcement of a new dam in the Hunter is a dangerous ploy to distract people from the disarray of Sydney Labor and the Milton Orkopoulos affair, says Greens candidate for Newcastle Cr Michael Osborne.

“The Sydney Labor Government is stuck in the past. The only reason they would announce such a silly idea is to draw attention away from the Orkopoulos affair.

“This dam would inundate thousands of hectares of dairy country, destroy the hydrology of an iconic Hunter river and be far less cost effective than many demand management and water conservation initiatives.

“Just over a year ago Hunter Water highlighted in its submission to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal that ‘there are no plans to build Tillegra Dam in the short to medium term’ and in their Integrated Water Resource Plan Hunter Water said that ‘building a new dam at Tillegra would be far less cost effective than many demand management and water conservation initiatives’ (page 66) yet the State Government ignores this advice and opts for the grand dam idea.

“If the Government was serious about water management then it would be mandating recycling targets for the water authorities around the State and increasing the rainwater tank rebates,” Cr Osborne said

The maximum rain water tank rebate in the Hunter is $650 for a 7000 litre tank connected to the toilet or washing machine. Such an arrangement would cost more than $5000.
“More than 30 billion litres goes out to the ocean through the Burwood Beach treatment works each year. If the Government was serious about water it would be announcing a scheme to recycle this for industry, sports fields and other uses.

“Claims of the need for a dam to provide water for the Central Coast do not add up considering the amount of water predicted to be transferred to the Central Coast from the Hunter is less than 13 billion litres per year. This could easily be accommodated with recycling in the Hunter and Central Coast.

Greens Run a Strong Team of Women Candidates

Female candidates for the State elections in March 2007 will have an opportunity to address an audience of their peers this week. Women’s Network Hunter has invited the candidates to address their November meeting on Thursday, November 9th.

Jan Davis, Greens candidate for Maitland, Jane Smith, Greens candidate for Charlestown, Charmian Eckersley, Greens candidate for Port Stephens, Bev Smiles, Greens candidate for Upper Hunter and Jodi McKay, ALP candidate for Newcastle will each speak about their candidature in the next state election.

“It is great to have an opportunity to connect with Women’s Network Hunter ” said Jane Smith, Greens candidate for Charlestown.

“Community connections are an integral part of a Green election campaign, as we campaign on such a small budget” said Ms Smith.

“The Greens and Women’s Network Hunter share a common goal. That is to increase the number of women in decision making roles in the community and at all levels of government” said Jan Davis, Greens candidate for Maitland

“It is wonderful to be a part of a team of strong Green candidates – most of whom are women” said Charmian Eckersley, Greens candidate for Port Stephens.

“Each of us brings our own life experience, expertise and passion to the campaign and that gives us such a rich tapestry to present to the electorate” said Bev Smiles, Greens candidate for Upper Hunter.

Greens Welcome NSW Renewabale Energt Targets

NSW Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen today welcomed Premier Iemma's decision to implement mandatory renewable energy targets as a significant step in the right direction.

"NSW is the powerhouse of the Australian economy and is also the largest producer of coal fired electricity, which is the biggest single cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia," Mr Cohen said.

"It is therefore imperative that NSW take action, and these targets are a reasonable first step. The Greens would have preferred a target of at least 20% renewable energy by 2020 rather than the 15% the Government is proposing, but at least targets are now on the table.

"I believe the interim target of 10% in four years time is the biggest positive. As the renewables industry expands it will increase its earning capacity and therefore its overall economic importance. Economies of scale will also see the cost to the consumer reduce over time.I am hopeful that these developments will enable the industry to drive itself and ultimately exceed the targets set by the Government. It is pleasing to see the targets will be reviewed in 2013.

"It was also encouraging to hear Mr Iemma tell journalists that he is aware that this is only the beginning of the battle to combat climate change, and that other initiatives will soon be forthcoming.

"Given that this scheme allows electricity retailers to source their renewable energy from across Australia, The Greens will be vigilant in ensuring the Premier keeps the promise he made today that energy providers will not be able to double dip and claim credits with two states at the same time.

"The Government won't legislate for these targets until after the election in March. I therefore call on the leader of the Opposition to outline whether a Debnam Government would match these targets, and also to specify what his party intend to do to combat climate change in general.

"It is positive to see the Premier staring down the climate sceptics in his party and showing some leadership on this issue. The Government is finally moving towards implementing realistic solutions," said Mr Cohen.

Victory on Climate Change

Premier Iemma's announcement of a legislated renewable energy target for NSW is a huge victory. The Greens, the environment movement and the hundreds of community organisations that have been arguing for clean energy solutions to climate change have finally been able to force the NSW government's hand.

After more than a decade of highlighting the dangers of runaway climate change, the debate on the causes, likelihood and impacts is now over. The challenge is to make sure that we get the right solutions.

The Labor government's announcement is a big step in the right direction.A key election issue is now NSW's coal resource and the growth in coal mines. Driven by exports which result in emissions that potentially dwarf what we do in Australia, the industry is expanding rapidly.

The coal corporations, with assistance from Labor and Coalition politicians, are pushing the myth of "clean" coal to protect their massive profits by taking the pressure off the need to reduce mining.

The Newcastle Greens councillors did a great job this week putting export coal on the agenda. Well done councillors!

The Greens are committed to making this the climate change election. We are working hard to unmask the convenient untruths of "clean" coal and "safe" nuclear power.With the help of our thousands of members and supporters, we can stay in the debate and make sure that the future is rescued.

Greens Call on NSW to Lead on Climate Change

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon says Premier Iemma is playing a dangerous game in buck-passing responsibility for climate change to the federal government, when NSW is clearly in a position to lead the way to initiate measures that reduce global warming.

"Premier Iemma is in the climate change box seat. His efforts to flick responsibility for solving climate change to the Howard government, in the context of a just released CSIRO report, is an extraordinary abandonment of duty," Ms Rhiannon said.

"The Iemma government carries responsibility for regulating key areas critical to averting climate change, including energy production, mining, roads, public transport, water and agriculture.

"Just for starters, Premier Iemma can halt new coal mines and coal fired power stations, invest in clean energy technologies, establish renewable energy targets and set progressive targets toward a 90% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

"A CSIRO report, released today, shows the harsh impact climate change will have on the Namoi Valley, where BHP Billiton, with the nod of the Iemma government, is planning to expand coal mining.

"If coal mining in the Gunnedah basin goes ahead it will have a major impact on the area's water supplies and pump millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in an area that CSIRO says will be hard hit by climate change.

"If the Anvil Hill coal mine proceeds, 10.5 million tonnes of coal will be mined each year, resulting in 27 million tonnes of carbon dioxide released. This is more than the greenhouse gas emissions from all vehicles using roads in NSW.

"The NSW government is beholden to the coal industry. It has rubber stamped the activities of the coal industry for 100 years, and in return has gained enormous economic growth and prosperity at the expense of the environment.

"Averting climate change and coal mining do not mix and it is time Premier Iemma pulled the plug on his government's support for this dangerous industry," Ms Rhiannon said.

Greens give Stern message:bin proposed Newcastle coal loader

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon is in Newcastle today to address a panel of independent experts, appointed to consider the proposed Newcastle coal loader.

The Greens message is that climate change gives the government no choice but to reject the development.

“The world has woken up the threat of climate change and the government cannot afford to back a coal export terminal which will drive the expansion of coal mining in the Hunter, Gloucester and Gunnedah regions,” mining spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said.

“I will ask the independent experts appointed by the Minister for Planning to think of their personal and professional responsibility to consider the implications of this decision for the lives of future generations."

“No where does the approval process for the coal loader ask for consideration to be given to the impact of the proposed coal loader on climate change. The Greens will ask the expert panel to look beyond these very limited terms of reference."

“A CSIRO climate change report released yesterday predicts temperatures in NSW could rise by more than 6 degrees by 2070 and rain levels could fall by 40 percent. “The CSIRO report holds dire climate change predictions for the Namoi Valley, one of the areas being eyed off by the coal industry and which will feed the new coal loader."

“The Stern report shows us that a price can be placed on the damage brought by climate change. This price must be factored into any perceived economic benefits the coal loader may bring."

“A new coal loader flies in the face of the Stern report’s advice to the world to produce cleaner energy to ensure non-fossil fuels account for 60% of energy output by 2050,” Ms Rhiannon said.

Councillor Michael Osborne, Greens candidate for Newcastle said, “Climate change and this government’s muddleheaded support for expansion of the coal industry is a major concern for the people of Newcastle and the Lower Hunter."

“Our regional economy risks collapse in coming decades as the world works to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. "

“The Hunter region cannot afford to be locked into a coal dependent future. The government needs to end its business as usual approach to the coal industry and draw up plans for a clean, green, job rich future for the area,” Clr Osborne said.

CAN can do it!

It was fantastic to be a part of Climate Action Newcastle's event on Nobby's Beach last Saturday.

Hundreds of people came out despite the weather to send a message to State and Federal Governments, and the message is

BEYOND COAL . . !

I was a part of the dot at bottom of the exclaimation mark - we all huddled like penguins to keep the kids warm!

It was truly inspiring to see how many people of all ages and backgrounds were there - imagine the size of the crowd if it had been a warm sunny day.

Keating Backs Green Call for Developer Donations to be Banned

Former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating today criticized the NSW Labor government's planning laws, referring to Planning Minister Frank Sartor as "The Mayor for Triguboff" and calling for donations from property developers to be outlawed.

Speaking at the Local Government Association conference in the Blue Mountains, Mr Keating's remarks are embarrassing for the NSW Labor party which has collected over $5 million dollars in political donations from property developers since the Labor government was re-elected in 2003.

Mr Keating's comments were welcomed by Greens MP and planning spokesperson Sylvia Hale, who attended the conference over the weekend.

"It appears that like most members of the community Mr Keating is sick of the way the planning process in this state has been corrupted by money politics," said Ms Hale.

"Labor's changes to planning laws have centralised power with the Minister for Planning and excluded local communities."

"These changes may be an effective way of increasing donations to the Labor party but it undermines public confidence in the planning process."

"No-one believes the Labor party when it claims that taking millions of dollars from property developers has not influenced the decisions it makes as a government," said Ms Hale.

"In his usual forthright way Paul Keating has belled the Labor cat. The Labor Party should listen to him and ban developer donations so public confidence can be restored in the planning process in this state," said Ms Hale.

In 2003 the Greens introduced a private members bill to ban developer donations to political parties. The Labor, Liberal and National parties all voted against the Bill. Electoral Office figures reveal that since voting against the Greens Bill the Labor, Liberal and National Parties between them have collected over $7.7 million dollars in donations from property developers.

The Greens do not accept political donations from developers.

NSW Greens Call for Stern Response

The massive implications of the Stern Report must surely, finally, rouse the NSW Government to take genuine and effective action to deal with the problem of climate change, said NSW Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen.

“No longer can governments anywhere pretend that this is a peripheral problem, or one that can be waved away with compromised half measures,” said Mr Cohen.

“The Greens and the environment movement in general have been clearly outlining the consequences of inaction for many years now. Our record on this issue is proven and consistent.

“The major parties cannot continue to offer up the lie that confronting the problem might hurt the economy. Sir Nicholas Stern’s report estimates that nine trillion dollars is the global economic cost of doing nothing. Perhaps the language of dollars and cents, the only language these people speak, will rouse them to action in a way any number of environmental disaster scenarios cannot.

“When NSW Parliament sits in a fortnight the Greens will be asking NSW treasurer Michael Costa yet again what he intends to do about climate change. Only last week he continued to scoff at the issue, ignoring talk of renewable energy and promoting the virtues of coal fired power stations.

“When he responds the people of NSW will not want the sarcasm and petty political point scoring that has comprised his pitiful contribution to this debate so far. They will be demanding a visionary and mature solution to a problem that clearly threatens the economy for which he is responsible.

“Tony Blair claims that this is the most important report he has ever seen in his time as British Prime Minister. We can only hope that Morris Iemma and Michael Costa feel the same way,” Mr Cohen said.