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Bias Against Brown Coal Showing Through: HallThat State Government has shown its bias against the Latrobe Valley's brown coal industry, by appointment of a former Environment Victoria to a senior position within the Government's Greenhouse Policy Unit By Peter Hall - 4th March 2005 - Back to News Nationals Resources spokesman, Peter Hall said the Government would not be in a position to obtain independent and balanced advice on greenhouse issues by appointing a person whose previous job included a stated aim of effectively closing down Hazelwood Power and preventing any further expansion of other generators.
Darren Gladman has taken up a policy advisory position within the Greenhouse Policy Unit, after resigning from his previous position as Climate Change Coordinator of Environment Victoria late last year.
Mr Hall said: "It is interesting to note that Mr Gladman’s previous role, as outlined when his position was recently advertised to find his replacement, included stopping any expansion of Hazelwood power station, which would effectively see the closure of that generator.
"Another key result area is to prevent any new power stations and expansion of existing brown coal power stations.
"These are the attitudes and desires that have now been brought into the State Government’s key policy area on greenhouse, and indicate that the Bracks Government is being unduly influenced by the green lobby."
Mr Hall said that Mr Gladman was entitled to his views.
"However, the State Government has indicated, by his appointment, what its policy approach will be. How can any member of this Government pretend that it is getting a balanced view when such appointments are made?"
Mr Hall said he was very concerned that the policy direction would be disadvantageous to the brown coal industry, with the Latrobe Valley likely to be directly affected and other Victorians also disadvantaged by being forced to pay higher prices for electricity. "The Government should be getting balanced advice but this appointment signals a bias against brown coal and it seems we can expect further promotion of very expensive and visually intrusive wind generated energy," Mr Hall concluded.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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