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Carbon Scheme Will Cost Jobs

Gippsland MP Peter Hall has expressed his concern that the State Government is headed towards a carbon trading scheme that will push up electricity prices and also cost local jobs.

By Peter Hall - 22nd September 2004 - Back to News

Mr Hall said that, following a question from The Nationals MP last week, the Minister for Energy Industries had ruled out a carbon tax.

"However, he has confirmed the Bracks Government is very keen to establish some form of carbon trading scheme that will invariably mean higher electricity prices and lost jobs," Mr Hall said.

"He admitted in his answer to my question that the Government is looking at some sort of carbon trading system, and he was also quoted in last week’s Melbourne newspapers as ‘needing to put a price on carbon.’

"Then later, in answer to another question, the Minister started talking about a ‘price signal’ to encourage new technologies and said ‘that price signal should come in the form of a carbon trading scheme.’"

Mr Hall said it has been widely reported that an emissions trading scheme that puts a notional price of $5 a tonne of CO₂ could raise power prices by 27 percent, cost Victoria as many as 15,000 jobs and could lead to the closure of some of Victoria’s brown coal power stations.

"This, coupled with the Minister’s desire to promote wind energy at all costs, sends shivers across brown coal generators and high electricity using manufacturers," Mr Hall said.

The Gippsland MP added that a carbon tax and the unnecessary push for wind energy at all costs would produce a ‘double whammy’ for Gippsland.

"Closure of power stations would hit this area very hard, and we also need to have a clear view of what large scale wind farming would mean.

"For example, the 48-turbine wind farm at Dollar would in reality generate only 24 megawatts of power.

"That means to generate the power normally generated by, for example, the 2000 megawatt Loy Yang Power station a total of 4000 turbines would need to be installed and operating.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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