Tuesday 23 March 2010

Hansard: Geothermal Power

Title Gherang: Geothermal Project
House COUNCIL
Activity Members Statements
Members KAVANAGH
Date 10 March 2010


Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- On the evening of Thursday, 4 March I attended a community meeting at the Wurdale community hall. At that meeting were a large number of residents of Gherang and surrounding areas. The meeting was organised by Daniel and Matthew Briggs.
The people at that meeting expressed deep concern that their area has been selected to be the site of a major
geothermal project. The local residents were outraged that they were never consulted about this and indeed only found out about it through one of the local residents happening to stumble across it on the internet. They were also angry that the responsible minister, the Minister for Energy and Resources, they say has consistently refused to meet or consult with them.
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The residents are concerned at a wide range of risks to their health and to the local environment, including carbon dioxide emissions and, as in Switzerland, at a
geothermal site, man-made earthquakes, ground subsidence, a possible leaching of toxic fluids above the ground, and a wide range of other potential problems.
I urge the government to consult with the local residents around Gherang and come up with plans in conjunction with the developer of this project to ensure that the local environment is protected and respected and that any risks to the health or welfare of local people in Gherang and the surrounding areas are averted.

Hansard: Drought: Government Assistance

Title Drought: government assistance
House COUNCIL
Activity Adjournment
Members KAVANAGH
Date 10 March 2010

Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Helper, and it relates to his recent decision to end drought assistance for the inland parts of south-western Victoria. I have been approached by south-western farmers who tell me that on farms in the inland parts of south-western Victoria, as distinct from the coast, which is very much better, they are still very badly affected by the lack of spring rains last year, which has dramatically reduced their crops. The result is that some farmers are not even attempting to harvest most of their acreage, which is obviously to their very great cost.
I add my voice to the representations made by the local member in the other place, Mr Delahunty.
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The action I seek from the minister is to urgently reconsider his decision to end drought relief for the non-coastal parts of south-western Victoria and to reinstitute drought relief which is very much needed by many farmers in the south-west.

Hansard: Caulfield Racecourse: public access

Title Caulfield Racecourse: public access
House COUNCIL
Activity Adjournment
Members KAVANAGH
Date 9 March 2010


Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Gavin Jennings, and relates to public access to the Caulfield racecourse. The minister recently promised to improve public access to the centre of the Caulfield Racecourse and to develop the centre as a public park -- that is, the land that is surrounded by the racing track.

I ask the minister to expeditiously, firstly, fulfil his promise to develop a park in the whole of the central area of the racecourse; secondly, act to improve access and infrastructure and opening times for that public space; thirdly, to publicly campaign to let the public know that the land is public land and accessible by them; and fourthly, to act to alter the fence along Queens Avenue so that the public can see the property that belongs to them in the hope that they will access it more frequently.

CONTACT DETAILS

Peter Kavanagh MLC
Member for Western Victoria
Parliament of Victoria

"La Cabine"
2nd Floor
1 Yarra Street
Geelong VIC 3220

Ph: 03 5222 1503
Fax: 03 5222 8677

Email: peter.kavanagh@parliament.vic.gov.au
Blog: http://peterkavanagh.blogspot.com/
Site: http://www.dlpwestvic.org/

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