2016-05-25
Senator Whish-Wilson provides the following comments on Greg Hunt’s visit to Robbins Island to talk up wind farm prospects.
“There have been very few Environment Ministers who have done more to damage Tasmania’s renewable investment opportunities than Greg Hunt.
“Minister Hunt oversaw the end of the carbon price, the gutting of the RET, twice voted to abolish the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and recently he cut $1 billion from the renewable energy fund ARENA.
“If Greg Hunt thinks he can pull the wool over the eyes of Tasmanians via this fly-in fly-out stunt he has much to learn - we are not stupid.
“Tasmania needs to work on improving its own domestic renewable options before exploring any second Basslink options. Otherwise we run the risk of simply becoming a regular importer of coal-fired energy from the mainland.
“And until the mainland deals with its massive oversupply of dirty power from coal-fired power plants, it is hard to see how any additional exporting of renewable energy power from Tasmania would be viable.
“The Greens have a policy of increasing the Renewable Energy Target and phasing out coal-fired power plants which would provide genuine opportunities for renewable energy investment in Tasmania,” he concluded.