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.

Wind Farms: Health Effects

Title Wind farms: health effects
House COUNCIL
Activity Members Statements
Members KAVANAGH
Date 2 February 2010
Page 20

Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- On Sunday I attended and spoke in the tiny township of Evansford, north of Ballarat. The meeting was attended
by about 60 people who are all deeply concerned about the health effects of wind farms, which now dominate the landscape. In my address to the meeting I noted the legal principle established in the landmark case of Rylands v. Fletcher -- that is, that a person is not entitled to do something on his property which adversely affects a neighbour. It seems to me, as I said then, that this principle is applicable to noise as well as to other potential hazards. I noted too the ancient rule in medicine: do no harm. Wisdom dictates that we should not engage in behaviour that is potentially harmful, even if that harm has not yet been proven.
Democratic principles also demand that local people should decide local issues for themselves. Those in Evansford who have dealt with government members of Parliament have been surprised at their indifference and indeed the cavalier attitude they usually take to this issue.


I urge the government to change its attitude and to listen to people who are affected adversely by wind farms and to change the regulations so that wind farms in the future do not cause damage to people near whom they are located.

Media 2008-07-31 "Compressed Natural Gas?" DLP

Press Release
31st July 2008

"Compressed Natural Gas the way to go?" DLP

Peter Kavanagh, DLP MLC for Western Victoria in Parliament yesterday, encouraged the Victorian government to consider promoting Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

Mr Kavanagh observed that :
-CNG cars are being sold in the US and distribution networks there are being expanded rapidly.
-Australia has huge resources of natural gas which are being exported at very low prices.
-Natural gas produces almost zero emissions.
-Australia's balance of trade could benefit enormously from replacing oil imports with CNG.
-Unlike LPG, CNG is not derived from oil.
-CNG has the potential to dramatically cut fuel costs for motorists.

Mr Kavanagh's speech in Parliament follows:


VICHANSARD
Title: Motor vehicles: alternative fuels
House: COUNCIL
Activity: Questions without Notice
Members: KAVANAGH
Date: 30 July 2008
Page: 2787

Motor vehicles: alternative fuels

Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- My question is for the Minister for Industry and Trade and relates to innovation in alternative fuels. Of the many possible alternative sources of energy for cars, compressed natural gas (CNG) seems to be ideally suited to Australia because we have vast reserves of natural gas which we are exporting at very low prices. CNG, unlike liquefied petroleum gas, is not oil or petroleum dependent. The technology has been proven and is growing rapidly in the USA, where Honda is providing a CNG-dedicated car. CNG has almost no emissions, and its widespread use would greatly benefit our balance of trade by replacing oil imports. Of course, CNG also has the potential to greatly reduce the cost of fuel for motorists in Australia.

I ask the minister: as Victoria is the centre of Australia's car building industry, does the government have any plans to encourage car producers here to build CNG vehicles or to spur, or even help, distributors to establish networks for the retailing of compressed natural gas?

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For further comment, please call Peter Kavanagh 03 5222 1503.