Déjà vu at State Government’s Poor and Pricey Handling of Muja
13 September 2013
Greens WA spokesperson on Energy policy, Robin Chapple MLC, is pleading with the Barnett Government to see the absurdity in continuing to throw millions at the ancient Muja AB power station.
“It’s hard to know where to start in commenting on this debacle. From the outset, this proposal was an unnecessary investment in furthering outdated fossil fuel policy, and was ripe with potential for cost blowouts.
“We have already seen $290 million of tax payers’ money wasted on Muja, and now the Barnett Government wants to spend a further $46 million.
“When will they wake up and listen to the informed observers, including the KPMG report they commissioned, who have said that the Muja revival would not prove profitable and has been poorly handled.
“Premier Colin Barnett has said himself that units 1 and 2 are ‘mothballed’, so why not bite the bullet and move on? It’s time to stop wasting money on the old-style electricity industry, at the black end of town, when we have new sustainable systems which are cheaper to run and right at our fingertips.
“Renewable energy resources are abundant in this state, along with incredible technological and engineering skills, but we are forced to accept old technology for the sake of fossil fuel contracts that this dinosaur Government is locked into.
“This Government has invested in a hugely costly white elephant for the sake of what it likes to call ‘energy security’, with no thought for the environmental, social or economic costs, and it’s not the first time. It’s time the Western Australian people refused this backward leadership.”
“Only the Greens have a detailed plan for powering WA without throwing good money after bad on flops like Muja. Our Energy 2029 plan would be a good foundation for the Minister’s current review of his portfolio”, Mr Chapple concluded.
Energy 2029 plan: http://www.greenswa.net.au/energy2029
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
