Lock the Gate Alliance congratulates NSW Labor on its election, and calls on the party to heed last week’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning to urgently increase climate action, and to step up to protect land and water from coal and gas mining.
LTGA NSW coordinator Nic Clyde said, “We welcome two important policies that the Minns Government adopted to support communities as the world shifts from coal to renewables, but it’s clear NSW Labor has not gone far enough on preventing new coal and gas mining.
“We welcome the new government’s commitments to clean energy transition authorities to support new jobs and new economic opportunities in coal mining regions, and to develop a roadmap to help households and businesses shift away from gas," he said.
“We look forward to working with the Minns Government as it implements these policies and to ensure that they are as strong as they can be. The needs of local communities must be front and centre of these policies.
“Unfortunately, the Labor Party declined to commit to stop new and expanding coal and gas projects, despite overwhelming support from the community to do so.
“The pro-coal and gas policies of the former Coalition Government meant the approval of fossil fuel projects was almost guaranteed. The new Minns Governments cannot continue to push the myth that the assessment process for coal and gas in NSW is independent.
“We’re calling for the incoming Minns Government to urgently amend planning policies to put climate change considerations at the heart of any decisions and stop the approval of new coal and gas expansions.
“We will focus in the coming year on stopping the dangerous Narrabri Gas Project, Santos’ gas expansion plans for the Liverpool Plains foodbowl, and associated gas pipelines.
“We will fight Glencore’s vast new coal expansion plans for the Hunter Valley - the Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) and Glendell expansion projects. HVO, if approved, would be the largest coal project in NSW since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2016, while Glendell would destroy irreplaceable Indigenous and non-Indigenous heritage.
“If our governments still won’t act, despite the extraordinary warning issued last week by the IPCC, then communities have no choice but to do so ourselves – we can’t live with climate-fueled floods, fires, and droughts. If we don’t act now we know there is no turning back.”
ENDS