Woodlands saved from reckless plan to burn biomass

In a win for wildlife and woodlands, final week the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) rejected the proposed restart of the Redbank Power Station – a proposal that will have accelerated wildlife extinctions, pushed up emissions, and devastated western NSW woodlands.   

Energy firm Verdant Earth Technologies has looked for years to make use of a retired coal-fired energy station close to Singleton in NSW to burn 700,000 tonnes of vegetation a 12 months to provide power.   

The IPC sought submissions and held a public assembly on this proposal in August; we suggested NSW Nature Conservation Council (NCC) and on their behalf engaged three unbiased specialists to supply professional opinions on the environmental impacts of the challenge. 

The specialists’ proof warned in regards to the danger of setting incentives for land clearing which might speed up deforestation, eradicating important habitat for threatened species. 

The proof additionally challenged the proponent’s claims the challenge would “deliver near net zero CO₂ power generation”, as our shopper’s specialists estimated restarting the facility station would have generated over 25 mega tonnes of local weather air pollution over the 30-year challenge life. 

The IPC obtained 591 distinctive submissions on the proposal, with 94.6% opposing the challenge.  

“It’s a reduction that this disastrous and illogical plan to burn woodlands and forests for power has been firmly extinguished by the IPC.  

“The Independent Planning Commission has made the right call in listening to the experts and rejecting this proposal on environmental grounds.” – Dr Brad Smith, NCC’s Policy and Advocacy Director.

This is a big resolution and an vital win for the surroundings. The IPC has made findings on the hostile impacts of the challenge referring to native vegetation clearing and greenhouse gasoline emissions. The IPC’s discovering that even a 0.1% contribution to NSW’s whole greenhouse gasoline emissions (by 2050) is “not immaterial”, displays the fact that local weather hurt is brought on by cumulative impacts.  Every fraction of a level of local weather warming we stop will save lives, species and ecosystems.