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Energy Park the community’s number-one priority

Latrobe City Council has been receiving a clear message from the community that the Latrobe Valley Energy Park is the number one economic development priority

By Latrobe City Council - 15th February 2001 - Back to News

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Latrobe City Council has been receiving a clear message from the community that the Latrobe Valley Energy Park is the number one economic development priority, Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Tony Hanning has said.

“For some time, Council has recognised the potential for the region and the benefits that would flow from an Energy Park, and is facilitating a united approach and submission from our community to the State government appointed Latrobe Valley Ministerial Taskforce.

“We have consulted with a broad range of community representatives to ensure that the submission which goes to the Government, genuinely represents the view of the Latrobe Valley,” Cr Hanning said.

“One issue has been paramount in the feedback from the community to Council. This is that the Energy Park is seen as the number one priority in terms of securing a sustainable future for the Latrobe Valley,” Cr Hanning emphasised.

Councillor Hanning said that the Energy Park would build on the Valley’s key resource of 500 years supply of clean, low cost, brown coal; which would enable the Valley, and Victoria, to once again become a competitive force in attracting energy intensive industries.

“The concept of the Energy Park is to create a dedicated precinct, reasonably close to power generation facilities, where major energy users can be supplied with competitively priced electricity, and potentially, heat, steam, and hot water,” Cr Hanning explained.

“By placing a precinct near the source of power generation, huge savings can be made in transmission losses otherwise incurred in transferring power long distances. The savings made will also allow Victoria to make a significant contribution to meeting Australia’s international greenhouse gas obligations,” Cr Hanning said.

“Additionally, the Energy Park proposal offers the potential for substantial job creation in both the construction and operational phases; real jobs that are badly needed in this region.

“The Latrobe community clearly appreciates that it needs to capitalise on its unique comparative advantages in order to remain viable and to recapture growth and prosperity. Not only are we the power-house of Victoria, but industry can take advantage of considerable existing infrastructure and services, second to none, such as gas, water, transport and waste management systems.”

“Whatever the future holds as far as power generation is concerned, whether there are moderate or extensive moves to alternative energy strategies for the nation, Latrobe will remain the focal point in the equation, simply because the infrastructure and long-term commitment already exists here,” Cr Hanning added.

Cr Hanning said that the Energy Park was not the solution to every problem faced by Latrobe City. However, whereas almost any region could bid for the run of the mill industries, in Victoria only Latrobe could support an Energy Park.

“As a consequence, our community is telling Council clearly that it understands this, and wants the Energy Park to form the centrepiece of the Ministerial Taskforce’s Plan for the Valley,” Cr Hanning concluded.

Media Enquiries:

Cr. Tony Hanning, Mayor, Latrobe City tel. 0417 373 577

Cr. Brendan Jenkins, Deputy Mayor, Latrobe City tel. 0417 374 590

Ms. Penny Holloway, Chief Executive Officer, tel. 5173 1401 or 0417 557 103

Jeremy Bein, Public Relations and Communications Officer, tel. 5173 1468

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: latrobecity@gippslander.com



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