Save Westernport joined over one hundred thousand people in Melbourne on Friday September 20 to rally behind the call for governments to rule out new fossil fuel projects, commit to 100 percent renewables, and ensure a fair and just transition.
We were thrilled to see so many people representing beautiful Westernport Bay. To all our members and supporters who joined the enormous show of support for the students in their call for climate justice, we say Thank You!
Save Westernport has always opposed AGL’s gas import proposal because it would threaten Westernport’s wildlife, degrading fragile ecosystems and prolonging our outdated dependence on fossil fuels.
With a 56km gas pipeline proposed through protected wilderness areas, the AGL plan is Victoria’s Adani, and Save Westernport is determined to get the word out about this enormous threat.
AGL has estimated that gas imported and processed at their floating storage and regasifiaction unit (FSRU) would be 20% more carbon intensive than locally produced gas.
Australian energy analyst Bruce Robertson stated in The AGE recently that the AGL project is unjustifiable both on economic and environmental grounds.
“It is extremely expensive and energy intensive to liquefy gas, and if you have one environmental bone in your body it’s an abomination. The process of liquefying natural gas emits significantly more greenhouse gases than piping it conventionally.”
Mr Robertson also argued it made no economic sense for Australia to import gas, given it exports almost twice as much natural gas as it consumes domestically.
“Importing gas is possibly the most wasteful thing you could do in terms of energy – it’s just pure wasted energy on a massive scale,” Mr Robertson said.
Premier Andrews has repeated Mr Robertson’s claims that Victoria produces twice as much gas as we use. Yet AGL says they need to import gas because we’re running low. With Australians paying the highest gas prices in the world, no wonder AGL reported recorded profits last year of over $1.6 billion.
Save Westernport’s supporters know we cannot continue to allow our precious remaining wilderness areas to be exploited for corporate gain, and we don’t need an Environmental Effects Statement to tell us that this project is unacceptable. When the EES is completed next year, the Victorian government and AGL will decide on the future of Westernport Bay.
You can email Premier Andrews to demand decisive action on Climate NOW, by putting AGL’s gas plans for Westernport in the Bin where they belong.
