What happens when Net Zero takes over policy - we look at Australia and the lessons to learn...
The renewable energy components need to come from overseas
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In regional and rural Australia, there is a shift to 'renewables' taking place and the Government plans to cover land masses the size of EU countries with wind and solar farms.
The plans to 'land grab' by the democratic Canberra government of Anthony Albanese have been hit with criticism from some citizens living in the country.
In New South Wales, agricultural and grazing land are under threat by Renewable Energy Zones (REZ).
There are five zones now declared in the State, and the first to be rolled out is the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWOREZ).
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Government plans to cover land masses the size of EU countries with wind and solar farms
PAWhen put into the size of EU countries, seven Luxembourgs and six Maltas could fit into this one REZ.
Occupying an area of 20,000km², this REZ is described as a "modern-day power station" and will join up wind, solar, battery and high-voltage transmission line projects within the area, engulfing more than six entire towns.
At the last count, local Community Groups have estimated the CWOREZ to include over 1,000 wind turbines and nine million solar panels.
Speaking about the plans, Steven Trip of Commanding the Narrative said in a speech: "Just imagine what we could be building in this country with all the money that goes into these massive projects.
"This isn’t Net Zero, it’s ‘Nutter Zero’. Where's the nation-building infrastructure that we could build? Where are all the improved roads, the nice highways, or brand new hospitals, or education facilities?"
The projects will not be limited to land as a 20km wind turbines project has also been proposed off the coastline of Lake Illawarra.
The Illawarra offshore area would take up the space of 150 Gibraltars and is the smallest of six offshore wind projects proposed by the Australian Federal Government.
According to Tripp, one of the problems with the renewable energy projects is that the components come from overseas, while Australia has abundant energy reserves.
He said: "We have all the coal, gas, uranium, even thorium that we could ever want, but instead we are taking our energy independence, and giving it to countries like China, or elsewhere in the world.
"We are becoming energy dependent on foreign countries, when we should be energy independent.”
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While the Orana and Illawarra projects are both located in South Wales, there are similar projects being planned in other Australian states.
These communities and the sizes of areas affected so far include:
- Bass Strait (Tasmania): 10,136km²
- Bunbury (Western Australia): 3,995km²
- Gippsland (Victoria): 15,000km²
- Hunter (New South Wales): 1,854km²
- Illawarra : (New South Wales): 1,022km²
- Central West Orana (New South Wales): 20,000km²
- Southern Ocean (Victoria): 1,030km²
This total (53,037 km²) could swallow up any one of 10 entire EU countries: Croatia, Slovakia, Estonia, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Malta.
While those in Australian cities are relatively untroubled by the plans the lives and local environments of those living in rural and coastal communities will be affected.
According to Facts4EU, a further "reason for alarm" is that Australia's food security is at threat if agricultural land is consumed by industrial scale wind, solar and high-voltage transmission line projects.
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