15th Oct 2019, 5:15 PM – Senate Motions - Renewable Energy - Proper oversight

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson (One Nation), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) in July 2019, former Tasmanian senator and founder of the Australian Greens, Dr Bob Brown, stated 'The proposal to build 200 supersized wind turbines on Robbins Island cattle farm will be the death of a thousand cuts to the State's endangered shore birds',

(ii) the Australian Greens:

(A) have not opposed the Robbins Island Wind Farm, first proposed in 2013, even though the island is home to the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagles, listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act),

(B) opposed the Adani coal project on the grounds that the Black-Throated Finch, listed as endangered under the EPBC Act, would become extinct if approval was given by the Queensland Government to the Carmichael coal mine, and

(C) apply double standards in respect of species extinction, because they use an endangered species listing if it might stop a coal project proceeding, but not when an endangered species listing might stop a wind farm or solar farm project,

(iii) the matter of Mr Hamish Cumming and others versus the Victorian Minister for Planning, a matter concerning brolgas (water birds) and the Golden Plains Wind Farm, has been listed for hearing in the Supreme Court of Victoria in October 2019,

(iv) the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments spent more than $40 million on the Kogan Creek Solar Boost Project, which did not deliver one milliamp of power, before being closed, and

(v) a new industry comprising a small number of environmental consultants or brokers, who commonly receive 5% of the project cost as a fee, now operates to obtain planning approval for overseas wind farm operators; and

(b) calls on the Commonwealth Government to work with State Government Planning Ministers and their departments to be vigilant in making sure projects are viable and proper arms-length processes are followed when approving wind, solar and other renewable energy projects.