“As a very good case in point, have a look at the Queensland Government’s recently released Regionalisation Strategy”, suggested Dr Bayley, the Greens Candidate for Ashgrove.
This strategy states that it focuses on investments that will continue to build regional communities around sustainable, liveable and prosperous foundations. However, as Dr Bayley pointed out, the strategy is very much focused on the development of non-renewable and polluting resources such as coal and coal seam gas.
Under this strategy corridors are being established that include, gas and coal, but no mention of a renewable energy corridor. “This seems extraordinary, particularly given the momentous developments last week with the introduction of the carbon tax plans”, Dr Bayley said.
“The maps of current and future economic trends is misleading; the area of intended 40,000 coal seam gas wells covers much of Queensland rather than the small corridor depicted.”
The initiative mentions the word coal 29 times and renewable twice! “It is as though Queensland either doesn’t understand or is choosing to ignore the developments that are happening in the rest of Australia, and indeed the rest of the world”, pointed out Dr Bayley.
Dr Bayley reinforced the criticisms made by Campbell Newman when she questioned, “Where are the Queensland Government scientists who understand what ‘sustainable’ means?”
“In addition a document that talks about sustainability and identifying important corridors without considering the environmental implications of the proposed developments, e.g. wildlife corridors, is short-sighted.”
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