Global pressure on emission reductions will continue
The Biden Climate summit last week provided confirmation for many where Australia sits in terms of seriousness in tackling climate change.
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As Country after country pledged to increase their targets our prime minster ironically got stuck in a silence vacuum.
Our leaders made announcements in the lead up to the event promoting technologies that support ongoing use of fossil fuels and more confusing accounting tricks on our emission targets progress which can only be described as 'greenwashing'.
Biden's Climate summit was a work up for the November Conference of the Parties(COP) 26 meeting in Glasgow to get people on the road to upping their 2030 emissions targets as called for by the Paris Agreement.
This was embraced by independent Climate Council also releasing data showing that Australia needs to implement a 75 per cent emission reduction target by 2030 after too little action and too late.
With the vision 'aim high: go fast' and clear scientific evidence that emissions need to plummet this decade fancy footwork and divisive politics to avoid the hard work won't be enough to satisfy the global and local appetites for climate action.
We have a second chance in November. Will Australia continue our embarrassing performance or will they finally get on board with the rest of the world?
Helen Cameron, Tamworth
Hunter gas pipeline
I notice that the Nationals and Labor candidates both support the pipeline. They talk of another route and more consultation but it is pretty clear landowners don't want it. Other landowners along the route are undoubtedly worried that a pipeline exposes them to not just the pipeline, but coal seam gas extraction in their area. So far it is seems only the Greens support the landowners.
Tony Lonergan, Muswellbrook
Coal mining
I refer to the article written by Stephen Galilee CEO NSW Minerals Council regarding coal mining.
Mr Galilee stated that all major parties are pro coal whilst campaigning in the Upper Hunter by election.
He hopes that they will be pro coal after the by election.
Matt Kean had a Bill passed in the NSW Parliament called the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Bill 2020, and was reported as saying that his plan was a blow to vested interests, and slammed who he called coal barons.
I am sure there are many vested financial interests who have climbed aboard the taxpayer funded renewables gravy train, that keeps on rolling along propped up by millions of dollars of public funds.
Mr Kean's pro renewables, anti coal Bill ,was supported by all the major parties, in the NSW State Parliament.
There were only four members who voted against it , and they were Mark Latham and Rod Roberts of One Nation Party and Robert Borsak and Mark Banasiak of the Shooters and Fishers Party.
John Rumble, Albion Park
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Proposed Gunnedah waste facility
It is interesting to note that recently Mayor Jamie Chaffey has complained in press articles about Gunnedah Council not being consulted regarding development matters in Gunnedah Shire. Well I reckon he should practice what he's preaching.
Currently there is a State Significant Development sitting with the NSW Dept. Of Planning for a proposed Gunnedah Waste Facility at 16 Torrens Rd, Gunnedah. The development proposes to receive, treat, then dispatch up to 250,000 tonnes of waste. That's 500,000 tonnes of heavy vehicle movements in and around Gunnedahs local roads.
The waste will come from as far as Sydney and Brisbane to this facility within town limits to a small lot industrial area currently home to several low impact businesses. The waste is to include construction and demolition waste, commercial and industrial waste. This sort of business is renown to be dirty and noisy, with some of the waste possibly hazardous or toxic.
In our research about this as an objector to the project, being a near by resident, I have found that Gunnedah Council have had discussions with the proponent as far back as 2019 about this project.
However, nearby residents and the residents and ratepayers of Gunnedah generally have not been consulted about the project. Nor is there any mention of this type of industry being sought for Gunnedah in the Local Strategic Planning document as published on the Gunnedah Council Web sites.
Even now I would think that most residents would be unaware of this project.
Paul Rankin, Gunnedah