Media Releases
Media Release.
Community takes action for renewable energy.
Sunday 13, September, 2009.
People from across Victoria and Australia have converged on the Latrobe Valley for
a day of peaceful community protest at the gates of Australia’s most-polluting power
station, Hazelwood.
Louise Morris from Switch Off Hazelwood said the action this is a historic moment
for the Victorian grassroots climate movement and is a positive step toward a just
transition away from coal - in favour of clean renewable energy jobs for the Latrobe
Valley, and Australia.
“Our state and federal governments continue to subsidise polluting dinosaurs like
Hazelwood, while failing to plan for a transition to clean and job-rich renewable
energy solutions,” she said.
“The time has come for us to step up and take the appropriate peaceful community
action to make our governments listen to what the community wants. The social
licence for the coal industry has been revoked.”
“Many hundreds of ordinary people who care about the climate other people from
are calling on our government to switch on renewables and switch off coal”.
Hazelwood is one of the dirtiest coal stations in the industrialised world. It was
scheduled to be shut down in 2009, but was given a lifeline by the state government
– at the expense of renewable energy.”
“We want the state government to remove its support of the coal industry and
instead support the renewable energy transition our community and planet need,”
said Ms Morris.
“Our intent is to slap a Community Decommission Order on Hazelwood. If by doing
so we risk arrest, so be it, a safe climate is worth being arrested for,” concluded Ms
Morris.
Media Alert
Community to take action for renewable energy.
Further Information: Louise Morris.
Phone: 0408906310
What:
‘Switch off Hazelwood – Switch on renewables’ day of peaceful
community action.
When: Sunday, September 13.
Where: Hazelwood Power Station. Rally starting at corner of Nadenbouschs and
Brodribb Rd. Off Monash Way.
Please note Media Conference 11.10am at start location of rally.
Why: Community is coming together to take peaceful action to remove the social
licence to go on burning coal, and begin the transition to a future powered by
renewable energy. We have switched our light bulbs, installed water tanks and met
with our politicians – and yet continue to see Government inaction on climate
change.
Now we are prepared to take action to switch on renewables and switch off coal to
drive the safe climate future we want to see by declaring a ‘Community
Decommission Order’ on Hazelwood.
The Switch off Hazelwood. Switch off Coal. Switch on Renewables protest is
being organised by a range of people who care about climate change and want to
see a switch from coal to renewable energy. For more information please visit
http://www.switchoffhazelwood.org
Media Release
Politicians to use community protest to push agenda?
Friday Sept 11, 2009.
Community members involved in a peaceful protest at the Hazelwood coal station on Sept 13. have expressed concern that they may be used as a vehicle for politicians to push laws to limit public right to protest.
“We have recently seen our state shadow Attorney-General, pressure the Brumby
Government to ‘act urgently’ to protect polluting coal fire generators from peaceful
community protest… We are still waiting for him to demand the Brumby Government act urgently on climate change” said Switch off Hazelwood spokesperson Louise
Morris.
“The question needs to be asked; to what extent will those who want to limit the
public right to protest use this community event as a platform to push an agenda of
increasingly draconian laws, that limit our free speech and civil society?”
“It is alarming that ordinary Australians organising for a peaceful protest in such an
open, honest and transparent manner could be used, and misrepresented, by those in politics. We are committed to peaceful and direct action to show that we are
revoking the social licence to go on burning coal.”
“We want a just transition to a future powered by renewable energy - not a future
where government and big polluters, like the coal industry, collude against
community campaigns. Which will limit our freedom to organise and protest in the
peaceful, honest and open way we have so clearly shown we are committed to,” said
Ms Morris.
“Community groups from across Victoria will be holding a peaceful protest at
Hazelwood on September 13, we invite the Shadow Attorney-General and all
Government ministers to come down and talk to every-day voting people about what
sort of policies we want to switch off coal and allow us to switch on renewable energy
solutions,” concluded Ms Morris.
The Switch off Hazelwood. Switch off Coal. Switch on Renewables protest is
being organised by a range of people who care about climate change and want to
see a switch from coal to renewable energy.
Media Release
Morwell hears how we can make the switch
Tuesday 8, September, 2009
Clean Energy or Coal? is the question being posed to residents of Victoria and the Brumby Government at a public meeting in Morwell on the evening of
Sept 9, 2009.
Gippsland Trade and Labour Council representative John Parker, Latrobe Valley
resident Denise McKenna and renewable energy advocate Mark Ogge will join Damien Lawson, a representative of the switch off Hazelwood organising group, in a public meeting in Morwell, to talk about the transition options for the Latrobe Valley to switch away from coal.
Damien Lawson from the ‘Switch off Hazelwood – Switch on Renewables’ organising groups said "I grew up in Morwell and my family all worked in power generation. So I know the importance of the coal to the Valley, but there has to be a change."
"We now know that continuing to burn coal is incompatible with ensuring a safe society and a stable climate."
"Pursuing the clean coal pipe dream will just prevent us planning for a shift to new
sustainable industry and employment in the Latrobe Valley. It’s time we all worked
together to plan a just transition for workers in the power industry, the first step is a
plan to close Hazelwood."
"Our community protest is part of a ongoing campaign to get the state and federal
government to take real steps to deal with the climate emergency."
The Switch off Hazelwood. Switch off Coal. Switch on Renewables protest is being organised by a range of people who care about climate change and want to see a switch from coal to renewable energy.
Media Release
Dirty Coal nightmare revealed.
Further media comments: Louise Morris
Phone: 0408 906 310
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
ABC Television program Four Corners has shone a light on the dirty coal nightmare,
that is the oxymoron of ‘clean coal.’
“This program has detailed what many climate scientists, geologists, renewable
energy experts…and the community already know. So-called ‘clean coal’ is a pipe
dream that is wasting valuable time and money when we should be switching from
coal to renewable energy,” said switch off Hazelwood spokesperson Louise Morris.
“Hazelwood is an example of the desperate attempt by government to run a smoke
and mirrors campaign on coal. Retrofitting an onsite water treatment plant into a
Carbon Capture Sequestration demonstration unit that captures a paltry 25 tonnes of
CO2 a day. Hardly a resounding success to prove commercial viability for so-called
‘clean coal.’”
“Our government needs to spend the $4 billion of taxpayers money being pumped
into the dead end pipe dream of ‘clean coal’ towards clean, job rich and ready
renewable energy. The IPCC admits that CCS will not be commercially viable for at
least the next twenty to thirty years. We don’t have time for this expensive and
unviable false hope,” said Ms Morris.
“It is clear our government is not serious about supporting a transition to renewable
energy, as is borne out by its support for a new coal fire power station in Victoria in
the HRL proposal. This proposed IDGCC, 400MW plant has been plagued by
financial, environmental and location troubles…and would only add to our
emissions.”
“Community is calling for government to put our taxes to good use by supporting a
transition to renewable energy and switch us off our reliance on coal,” concluded Ms
Morris.
The Switch off Hazelwood. Switch off Coal. Switch on Renewables protest is
being organised by a community members who care about climate change and
want to see a switch from coal to renewable energy. For more information please
visit
www.switchoffhazelwood.org
Community campaign exposes Victoria's dirty secret.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Community members wanting to see an urgent transition from coal to renewable electricity for our state today officially launched the ‘Switch off Hazelwood – Switch on Renewables’ day of action.
Pablo Brait spokesperson for the group said “We are launching this community campaign here on the steps of Parliament house to make it clear to our political representatives that the social licence to continue burning coal is being revoked.”
“We have signed petitions, written letters and changed our light globes, yet we still see government failing to take any meaningful action on climate change. In fact they are continuing to subsidise the coal industry with our tax dollars.”
”That sort of political and taxpayer support should be put towards a transition to
renewable energy – not continuing our reliance on polluting coal. The Rudd and Brumby Governments are not listening to the climate scientists or the community, and they are refusing to stand up to the big polluters.”
”On Sunday Sept 13, hundreds of ordinary Victorians and Australians, will go to the
Hazelwood coal power station, one of the most polluting coal power stations in the
industrialised world and declare a ‘Community Decommission Order’ on this dinosaur of the past,” said Mr Brait.
“The thing that is blocking this transition to renewable energy is a lack of political vision and leadership. We have the technology, the expertise and the ability…now the community is leading the way to make the transition to switch on renewables and switch off coal,” concluded Mr Brait.
Parliamentary attack on community protest condemned.
Thursday 3 Sept, 2009.
Community members involved in a peaceful protest at the Hazelwood coal station on Sept 13. have condemned the Shadow Energy Ministers call to protect the polluters from ordinary Australians.
“That shadow energy minister Clark, who is also shadow Attorney-General, has said today in Parliament that he wants the Brumby Government to ‘act urgently’ to protect polluting coal fire generators from peaceful community protest, is a timely indication of the priorities of Government on climate policy,” said Switch off Hazelwood spokesperson Louise Morris.
“Switch off Hazelwood – Switch on Renewables is a day of peaceful community protest at one of the industrialised worlds most polluting coal power stations -Hazelwood. We are calling on state and federal governments to switch off our reliance on coal, so we can switch on a just transition to renewable energy.”
“We have signed petitions, met with our political representatives, Walked Against Warming and yet we still see the sort of attitude to action on climate that Mr Clark is displaying; an economic and political alliance with the big polluters, like Hazelwood. While ignoring ordinary Australians who want a transition to renewable energy,” said Ms Morris.
“Community groups from across Victoria will be holding a peaceful protest at Hazelwood on September 13, we invite Mr Clark to come down and talk to every-day voting people about what sort of policies we want to switch off coal and allow us to switch on renewable energy solutions,” concluded Ms Morris.
The Switch off Hazelwood. Switch off Coal. Switch on Renewables protest is being organised by a range of people who care about climate change and want to see a switch from coal to renewable energy. The campaign will be officially launched on the steps of Victoria Parliament House on Monday Sept 7 @ 8.30 am.