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| Eraring Power Station , Ash Dam and Myuna Sport & Rec Centre |
Power
It started as quite a positive affair. Scott McArdle from the Latrobe Valley Authority sharing how after the closure of Hazelwood in Victoria there are now 10,600 more jobs in the region. A concerted effort was made to build local business through incentives, increase local spend, provide retraining opportunities in new sectors, and invest in building and activating local spaces to ensure the local community continues to engage with each other.The summit also heard from Dr Amanda Cahill, CEO of The Next Economy, who provides advice to industry leaders and governments seeking to implement just transitions from a coal-based economy. She spoke of the need to connect all sectors of the community and acknowledge the significant role the coal mining industry has played in local communities. There are an increasing number of positive case studies and projects founded on renewable energy but they are ‘invisible’ in the dominant press. She also mentioned, more than once, how the conversations that are taking place behind closed doors with ministers, peak bodies and council who see the economic benefits of a just transition, are not being shared with the public. In Queensland this is triggering industry groups to develop their own transition plans as there is an absence of leadership from government.
Prof John Wiseman from the University of Melbourne’s Energy Transition Hub outlined the urgent need for a well-managed, just transition from coal-fired power to renewables by 2040 to keep climate predictions to below 1.50C warming. He stated that 50% of Australia’s coal-fired power stations are over 35years old and many will close sooner than currently assumed. Locally, Eraring’s predicted closure is 2032 and Vales Point is 2029. He outlined the critical criteria for a successful transition that builds on regional strengths - proactive policies, transition strategies, collaborative planning with respectful community engagement, long-term political commitment, leadership, and community action.
The Collie community’s ‘no one left behind’ transition strategy, Collie at the Crossroads, was presented by Zero Emissions’ Lachlan Rule. Collie is a West Australian coal community of 9000, with three power stations, in an energy transition resulting from the plans to close coal-based infrastructure. The strategy identifies opportunities in supporting the renewable energy network transition, developing sustainable building materials and renewable technology which would create 1,750 jobs to replace the 1250 lost in coal-based closures. It was recognised that to make this transition work there needs to be a plan with a ‘grand coalition’ of workers, unions and the climate movement.
Prof. Michael Askew’s presentation on behalf of the Australian Transitions Academy at Monash Uni was positively uplifting. He spoke of the rapid transition away from coal which is happening in many areas of the world, faster than anyone expected, being driven by a corporate shift from the environmental division to risk divisions of industry, giants such as Google, Amazon and Shell all decarbonising.
Citing examples of China’s reduction in coal-fired generation from 515GW to 76GW, 42% of the global coal fleet already losing money as renewable energy overtakes coal, and entities where renewables already exceed coal; Germany, the ACT and SA , the case to get on board quickly to optimise industry positioning was well made.
Prof Askew gave an overview on the transition megatrends which are shaping the emerging transformation against the background of an ageing, urban population experiencing climate change, biodiversity loss and sociocultural shifts. The principles guiding this transition include integration, decentralisation, collaboration, regeneration and valorisation (value adding) resulting in a win-win-win driving prosperity with environmental sustainability with social capital.
The transition megatrends included;
- renewable energy in distributed systems, which is great for local regional development
- intensive sustainable food systems, supported by community and access
- Bio-innovation, looking at new ways of converting organic material to valuable products
- The circular economy that maximises value, keeps materials in use and shifts from goods to services
- Support systems that facilitate behaviour change such as cooperatives and reclaiming democracy
- The internet of things which enables change and
- Urban transport renewal
Pollution
The session on pollution was not nearly as chipper with a sudden plummet back to reality with the 1950’s unlined coal-ash dams of Eraring and Vales Point uppermost in locals’ minds.Coal ash, the by-product of burning coal in power stations, is concentrated in heavy metals and toxins. Locally coal-ash is mixed with water and ‘stored’ in unlined ash dams, where the toxic cocktail leaches into the groundwater, the contamination flowing into the Lake with ecosystems being impacted and heavy metals concentrating in lake seafood such as crabs, prawns and fin-fish and anything that eats them…birds, people.
There is currently an Inquiry into the remediation of coal-ash dumps in NSW which could be a pivotal moment in the campaign to see the 60 million+ tonnes of coal-ash waste on Lake Macquarie's shores cleaned up! Submissions close on Sunday 16th Feb.
The Hunter Community Environment Centre (HCEC) has a comprehensive guide to the issues and how to make a submission. https://www.powerandpollution.com.au/inquiry
HECE advocate to fix the pollution from coal-ash in Lake Macquarie, we need:
- Stronger regulation on heavy metal escaping from ash dumps and power stations
- A waste recovery industry to turn coal-ash into safe products and provide local employment to a region in transition
- Commitment from community and Government in a long-term plan to decontaminate and rehabilitate these valuable shoreline areas to the wetland habitat they were before the power stations
The Power & Pollution Summit presentations and more information about the speakers can be viewed online https://www.powerandpollution.com.au/speakers
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