2021-02-05
The Greens strongly oppose the steps being taken by the Administrator of the Central Coast Council to remove the area’s NUCLEAR FREE ZONE status. This is despite the fact that the decision goes well beyond the accepted scope of an interim administrator of a council which is just months away from a full election.
The issue is set to be considered at the next Council Meeting on 8 February: https://cdn.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/Council/Meetings_and_minutes/om8february2021agendalinked.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0HJbSqQmQqRoghM8Cs3YYoLPm8GQehgHhMfXOutt_0Ct3FKtSry9ZbevI
Greens MP and Local Government Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
“The Administrator of the council is going well beyond his role to lead an ideological crusade for outdated nuclear technology on the Central Coast.
“The Central Coast needs a nuclear power station like the state of NSW needs another coal-fired power station.
“In December last year the Central Coast and Hunter was declared a renewable energy zone, if the Administrator wants to dabble in energy policy he should be looking to deliver on this.
“This Council has suffered enormously through the forced amalgamations process and continues to be in a precarious financial situation, Mr Persson should get on with the job he is there to do and stop playing politics,” Mr Shoebridge said.
Greens MP and Central Coast Spokesperson Abigail Boyd said:
“There’s no one on the Central Coast who believes that the future of energy lies in dirty, dangerous and obsolete nuclear power.
“Just yesterday it was announced that Albury is getting Australia’s first hydro-powered battery. The jobs-rich, renewables revolution is already here. Yet the Administrator of Central Coast Council wants to take us back to the dark ages.
“Our community on the coast sees this for what it is – a toxic proposal from an unelected bureaucrat pushing the far-right’s endless crusade against progress.” said Ms Boyd.