NSW Greens Federal campaign launch; Climate change policy announced

Lee's speech - YouTube

Lee's full speech

Ms Rhiannon’s Climate Change Plan for NSW is designed to cut the state’s emissions from the energy, transport and forest sectors
(details below).

“What’s missing in NSW is clear direction on how to cut the state’s greenhouse emissions while creating new, sustainable jobs,” said Ms Rhiannon.

“Plans to reduce NSW’s greenhouse pollution, which makes up 27 per cent of the nation’s carbon emissions, are dangerously off course.

“With the Greens Senate team I will work to improve government legislation so we can reduce greenhouse gas pollution in the energy, transport and forestry sectors and steer NSW to a low-carbon economy.

"The Greens' support a carbon tax and direct government investment to provide the revenue in renewable energy projects, electricity grid upgrades, energy efficiency measures and quality public transport.

“NSW remains firmly in the grip of the powerful polluting coal industry.

“The Greens are committed to protecting our environmental wealth. The generation of electricity from burning NSW’s south-east native forests is backward. Power stations fuelled by native wood should be unacceptable under any credible renewable energy scheme. It would destroy biodiversity and is totally unsustainable.

“As a NSW MP I spent 11 years advocating for improved public transport and the retention of jobs in the transport infrastructure
manufacturing sector in NSW.

“In the Senate I would campaign for federal funding to kick start projects to revitalise public transport and expand the freight rail
network. This will drive down transport based greenhouse gas emissions and make our communities safer, healthier and more liveable.

“The possibility of an Abbott-controlled Senate makes it more important than ever to have a strong Greens voice for NSW in the Senate

”The Greens will be campaigning hard in this final stage of the election campaign to increase out primary vote and win back a Greens Senate seat for NSW,” said Ms Rhiannon.

Background to NSW Greens election campaign

Lead NSW Senate candidate Lee Rhiannon

Lee Rhiannon is campaigning to regain a Greens Senate seat in NSW after Senator Kerry Nettle was not re-elected in 2007. Lee lists her priorities as:

• real action on climate change, with a shift from coal to renewables
• a sustainable NSW, including world class public transport, an end to overdevelopment and the logging of native forests
  
• better funding for public services including health services
  
• political donations reform.

To find out more visit Lee’s page on the Australian Greens site:
http://greens.org.au/leerhiannon including her biography and work
history as a NSW Greens MP for more than a decade:
http://greens.org.au/leerhiannon/biography

Lower house candidates

Greens NSW will again field local candidates in all 48 lower house seats across NSW. Their backgrounds are diverse, including union organisers, small business owners, artists, school principals, lawyers, environmental campaigners, retirees, authors and full-time parents.

Chances

While we are optimistic about our chances, getting a spot for NSW in the Senate is by no means guaranteed and breaking into the lower house will be tough.

Election experts rate our Senate chances as 50/50. We will need a healthy primary vote to gain the quota needed of 14.3 percent.

In NSW the Greens strongest prospect for picking up a House of Representatives seat is the inner city electorates of Sydney and
Grayndler.

Greens climate change plan for NSW

Overview

The NSW Government’s plan to reduce 60% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is dangerously off course.  None of the current measures taken to date by the NSW or federal governments will help meet this goal.

The science of climate change demands that we start reducing our emissions immediately, yet in this election campaign both major
parties have proposed to delay action on climate change.

In NSW the per capita greenhouse gas emissions are 23 tonnes per person per year.  The average for industrialised nations is
approximately 13 tonnes.  We need to take action to reduce our emissions.

The Greens Climate Strategy would deliver significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in the energy, transport and forestry
sectors.  The stategy will create opportunities for new jobs and economic growth, enhance long-term sustainability and improve quality of life.

Electricity and energy efficiency

Stationary energy contributes 45% of greenhouse gas emissions in NSW. 75% of those emissions come from coal-fired electricity generation. In the industrial and fossil fuel burning sectors, emissions have grown by 21% between 1990 and 2007, including an increase of 38% in emissions from electricity generation.

Electricity Generation

Electricity generation in NSW accounts for 10% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions. The state's record is set to dramatically worsen with two new coal-fired power stations recently approved that will further increase NSW emissions by 15%.

Julia Gillard's climate policy will do nothing to stop these power stations being built. All proposed power stations currently in the
planning system will be exempt from the policy. Tony Abbott is a policy-free zone when it comes to new coal-fired power stations.

The major parties continue to be wedded to the clean-coal myth. Claim of power stations being “carbon capture ready” ignore the facts that there is no large-scale demonstration of the technology, that storage sites are rarely located close to emissions sources and that the costs are prohibitive.

100% renewable energy is a real possibility. Jurisdictions across the world are demonstrating that large-scale renewables, combined with local generation, can meet electricity demand.

A climate policy that does nothing to stop new coal-fired power stations fails at the first hurdle. It locks in pollution for the life
of these plants and undermines opportunities for renewable energy projects.

The Greens will oppose the construction of new coal-fired power stations. This is the first step towards achieving our goal of zero
net emissions by 2050.

Electricity Networks

Electricity prices are going up across the country. NSW will waste more than $17.7 billion between 2010 and 2015 on outdated electricity infrastructure to support the centralised coal-based model in place today. The future is energy efficiency, demand management and smart grids. Local generation options such as roof-top photovoltaics, solar water heating and co-generation require a new, smart grid.

Julia Gillard's "Connecting Renewables" policy commits just $25 million dollars to new infrastructure. This will build just 25km of
transmission line each year. To put this in context, the NSW state owned company Transgrid is currently seeking approval to spend $227 million on a single transmission line from Bonshaw to Lismore to pump coal fired power to homes and businesses on the NSW North Coast.

Tony Abbott has no plan when it comes to transmission and distribution solutions.

The Greens understand that without a price on carbon the same old approach will continue. A price will quickly redirect investment to
support local generation initiatives and encourage energy efficiency to greatly reduce the costs of maintaining transmission and
distribution networks. But a price on carbon is just the first step.

The Greens would redirect capital expenditure from old inefficiency energy networks to energy efficiency standards and smart meters to help households save money.

Green Jobs growth

Making the transition to low carbon energy solutions will create thousands of new jobs. The coal-fired power industry currently
sustains less than 7,000 direct jobs in generation and the mines that supply it.

NSW could create 73,800 new jobs in clean energy industries if the government invested in a transition to new renewable technologies.

The Greens offer a transition program to support workers in the coal mining and coal fired power industry to re-train for new industries.

NB: 73,800 jobs growth is based on a shift to 100% renewable or co-generation electricity, with manufacturing 35% of wind energy
equipment, 20% of photovoltaics and 100% of solar thermal.

Source: http://e1.newcastle.edu.au/coffee/pubs/reports/2008/Just_Transition/Just_transition_report_June_30_2008.pdf

A Greens NSW Senator would work to:

•       Put a price on carbon pollution to create an economic incentive to reduce emissions and fund clean energy solutions.
•       Target government incentives for solar water heaters and energy efficiency measure to protect individuals and families on low incomes from unfair electricity costs.
•       Prohibit new coal-fired power stations and develop a phase-out plan for existing plants.
•       Increase the renewable energy target to encourage immediate investment in clean energy projects.
•       Direct public investment in renewable energy, smart grids, demand management and energy efficiency to use electricity more wisely.
•       Support local manufacturing to create thousands of jobs in the future clean energy economy.
•       Fund a transition program to re-train workers in the coal industry.

Sustainable transport

The transport sector is the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 14% of NSW’s annual emissions.  90% of those emissions come from road transport.

The NSW government has dropped the ball on expanding the public transport network, leaving an enormous vacuum which the federal government should help fill.  The key to reducing greenhouse emissions is not Gillard’s ‘cash-for-clunkers’ scheme, or new motorways like the M5 duplication or M4 East, but prioritising a low carbon public transport system for Sydney and regional centres.   Trucks are the most energy intensive way of moving freight, and in this era of climate change the government should be expanding freight rail operations.

Australia is alone in the OECD for having a federal government with no formal role delivering public transport. The federal government should partner with the NSW government to invest in NSW’s transport future.

The US provides a good model, where its federal government funds public transport, including capital support to kick start projects and provides some recurrent funding for operating costs.

Infrastructure Australia recently released its priority list for funding and expressed disappointment at the NSW government’s lack of
transport planning, judging nothing was ready to fund in this state.

The Federal Labor government has watched Sydney’s public transport languish, and stood by as NSW has invested heavily in motorways, which induce traffic.

A Greens NSW Senator would work to:

• Pursue federal funding to build more public transport infrastructure.
• Allocate at least 5% of any federal transport funding to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
  
• Call for the bulk of freight in NSW to be transported by rail.
  
• Remove the GST on public transport.
  
• Increase fuel efficiency standards for vehicles.
  
• Remove Fringe Benefits Tax incentives that increase use of company provided vehicles.

Native forests

Land use change and forestry sector emissions account for 6% of NSW emissions.

The NSW Government is currently considering a biomass electricity generation project in south-eastern NSW that would burn native timber to generate electricity.  Burning native forests to fuel wood fired power stations is unacceptable under any credible renewable energy scheme. It destroys biodiversity and is totally unsustainable.

Over the last 40 years, the Eden woodchip mill has chipped over 30 million tonnes of native forest trees.  There is a massive amount of carbon held in native forests trees.  Burning them in a wood fired power station will have a negative impact on climate change.

Protecting South East NSW native forests - A Greens NSW Senator would work to:

•       Prohibit the burning of native forests for electricity generation, preserving this resource as a valuable carbon store.
•       Stop native forest fuelled biomass power stations from being included in future renewable energy targets.
•       Lobby the Federal Environment Minister to end the logging of south-eastern NSW native forests.

Source for emissions figures:  NSW Department Environment and Climate Change - as at 15 April 2010.
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/climatechange/emissionsoverview.htm