No Wood-Fired Power Stations for NSW - Environmentalists Celebrate

After years of concerted campaigns by the combined environment movement throughout Australia, this sends a strong signal to the woodchip industry that burning forests for power will not be tolerated.

Bob Carr's announcement follows a massive wave of opposition against the proposed industry, with independent polling demonstrating only 7% of people in support. This was not a difficult decision for the Premier. Neither is ending the charcoal threat on the South Coast.

'While this is an excellent move, there are some inconsistencies with the Government's position as stated in their media release. NSW is still the only state where forest products are burnt for electricity production. Under the policy, so-called "sawmill waste" may be used in power generation. However, there are no details about how this is monitored to ensure that waste is not produced to meet the demands of a power station,' stated Glen Klatovsky, NSW Campaign Manager for The Wilderness Society.

'It is now time for the Government to follow this positive decision by ruling out the charcoal factory on the South Coast. Thousands of people throughout the state have come out on the streets, opposing this appalling development,'

'It is clear that the NSW ALP sees the environment vote as important. With seven months to the election, the green fight is on. This is an excellent first step to Bob Carr re-establishing his credentials as a "Green Premier"' concluded Mr Klatovsky.

For more information, please contact: Glen Klatovsky 9282 9553 or 0410 482243