Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change

Vigil to Replace Hazelwood – Frank McGuire MLA Broadmeadows

May 12, 2015 at 11:47 am John Englart Leave a comment

Cold afternoon to be holding a vigil in Broady! But we were there. I passed on my letter and the recent study on the impacts of coal in Victoria to the office worker In Frank Maguire MP’s electoral office. Unfortunately it is a busy time for Frank Maguire, so I requested an appointment be made at a later date to discuss in person the issues raised re closing Hazelwood. We cut short standing around outside and went into the shopping centre and had a debrief over a coffee before coming home. We also distributed a few black balloons to enthusiastic kids.

John Englart

Climate Action Moreland urges local MPs to support strong action now to close Australia’s dirtiest power station, Hazelwood.
Our climate is getting hotter and more extreme, with more intense heat waves, more menacing bush fires, and more costly extreme events such as Superstorm Sandy and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Local climate change activists will approach Frank Maguire, MLA for Broadmeadows, this Thursday when constituents will deliver a letter calling for the urgent closure of the world’s third dirtiest power station.

Community Vigil – Climate Action Moreland
Where: Electoral Office of Frank Maguire,
Shop G42, Broadmeadows shopping centre (south side), next to Commonwealth Bank, in the car park opposite the Council chambers
When: Thursday at 4:30am – 5:30am
Register: on Facebook event

BREAKING: We have just learned that ALCOA has decided to close the Anglesea coal power station and mine on 31 August 2015. This is good news as there has been an active community campaign in Anglesea and across the state to shut the power station ever since the Port Henry aluminium smelter was shut down. The power it generates for the grid is superfluos and it has extremely high sulphur dioxide emissions, with the coal mine being a huge fire risk over summer and during heat wave events.

@SCAA3230 @JacintaMorahan Stop Press! @alcoa Just announced they're closing Anglesea mine, by August 31! http://t.co/rEUhxz32mV

— tom doig (@tomdoig) May 12, 2015

Fantastic #coal announcement. Now #Alcoa needs to talk to local #Anglesea community over site rehabilitation https://t.co/nvC8eAqHn5

— John Englart EAM (@takvera) May 12, 2015

Hazelwood Power station is also superfluos to meeting grid demand, being highly inefficient. The Mine fire in 2014 highlighted the health danger of the mine to the local community, with at least 11 excess deaths in the region associated with the polluting smoke from the fire.

Here in the northern suburbs heatwaves, and bushfires on the urban rural boundary, are issues that our state government needs to grapple with for adaptation measures, emergency planning, and mitigation for conditions in 10 or 20 years time.

During the unprecedented 2009 Black Saturday bushfire period, there were 374 extra heat-stress-related deaths in Victoria, an average of more than 4.25 deaths for each Legislative Assembly electorate in Victoria.

The need to move quickly to replace dirty coal with clean renewable energy and jobs was highlighted in a new report from Oxford University’s Stranded Assets Programme, which identified the most-polluting, least-efficient and oldest “sub-critical” coal-fired power stations. (See Climate Council June 2014 report: Australia’s Electricity Sector: Ageing, Inefficient and Unprepared)
The report found 89% of Australia’s coal power station fleet is sub-critical, “by far” the most carbon-intensive sub-critical fleet in the world.

One quarter of Australia’s coal plants need to close within five years if Australians are to play an equitable part in keeping with government pledges.

The previous ALP state government showed promise in this matter”, said Gemma Williams, “We hope this current government will show strong leadership now.”

In 2010, then Labor premier John Brumby, in explaining his policy for a phased close-down of Hazelwood, told ABC radio listeners: “either you believe in closing Hazelwood or you don’t, and I do.”

Labor’s 2010 climate change legislation provided the reserve power to regulate emissions from existing brown coal-fired generators.

This legislation was undermined by the Baillieu government, and now is the time to restore the government’s capacity to regulate emissions.

We urge the development of a strong jobs package and an economic transition plan for the Latrobe Valley because the move from coal to clean wind and solar renewable energy is now both urgent and inevitable.

Climate Action Moreland will be taking these message to electors and other state MPs in Moreland:
Urgent action is required now to replace coal
Hazelwood can be shut without affecting power supplies, and
Coal is a major health hazard to Victorians.

Further Vigils

We will follow up our vigil outside Frank Maguire’s electoral office for the seat of Broadmeadows with further vigils for the State MLAs that represent our municipality here in Moreland: Jane Garrett, MP for Brunswick.

Community Vigil – Climate Action Moreland
Thursday, May 28 from 8.00 – 9.00am
Jane Garrett, Brunswick
Action on the corner of Nicholson St and Park St bike path, then deliver letter to her office at
Suite 1, 31 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East (near corner of Brunswick Rd and Nicholson Street)

Entry filed under: campaigns, Hazelwood, Labors Climate Record, Politician education, rallies & protests, Replace Hazelwood. Tags: coal, Frank Maguire, Hazelwood.