Community
17 December, 2024
Micro-grid scuppered
FEDERAL Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch has blasted the decision to drop the proposed Daintree renewable energy micro-grid project.
“Politics,” he said, “it’s politics. (the government) doesn’t want any credit going to myself or the Coalition. It’s all about the politics.”
Mr Entsch said the project was critical for the area, particularly for environmental reasons.
“After (Cyclone) Jasper and talking to people that have been in charge of the recovery, they’ve said that it’s absolutely critical that we get this infrastructure in before there’s another event,” Mr Entsch told Cairns Local News.
“And the reason they want this micro-grid in is that, after Jasper, the trouble they had getting 44-gallon drums of fuel into those communities. Rolling over and across World-Heritage areas on the beaches to get them in to keep generators operating. Imagine the damage they would have done.
“And the reality is, if that infrastructure had been in place at Noah Range – because (the microgrid infrastructure) is all underground, it wouldn’t have impacted on it at all. They would have had power back up in Cape Tribulation within a day or two. So, it’s critical that infrastructure be put in.”
The project, initially given the green light by the former Coalition government, was kick-started with $20 million funding to the Volt Advisory Group, working with the local Kuku Yalanji.
The project has been dropped by the Labor government due to not meeting project milestones.
A spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said “the Albanese government is investing in real microgrid projects in regional and First Nations communities, bringing more reliable renewables into a modern, fit-for-purpose energy grid”.
“The Daintree Microgrid Project was given every opportunity to meet requirements they were contractually obligated to meet but they failed to do so and the grant funding ceased,” the spokesperson said.
“This was communicated to the proponent.”
Mr Entsch questioned the government’s commitment to the project.
“If he wants to say they didn’t meet milestones, why didn’t (Minister Bowen), when his own department failed to issue the license in the four months they were committed to doing it, why did it take them 15 months? Why didn’t he tell his department to do it?
“Why didn’t he send a letter saying, ‘yes the government’s committed to doing it’, so they could get a sign off. And then he totally discounted the fact there was a little episode called Jasper. And he said himself, the money was there.”
But Mr Entsch remains positive the project will eventually go ahead, adding Peter Dutton was committed to making sure it does.
“The Prime Minister himself has been committed to an Indigenous renewable energy project,” Mr Entsch said.
“It’s going to happen, whether or not (Minister Bowen) agrees.”
