‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS:

Renewable energy rollout, mapping of impact of wind, solar projects in regional Australia by Rainforest Reserves Australia, government transparency, conservation of bushland

Kenny  

Let me bring in Anne Webster, the Member for Mallee in Victoria. She's the Shadow Minister for Regional Development, joining us from Mildura. Anne, this is extraordinary, isn't it? The numbers here - as if we haven't seen enough disruption and bushland and farmland ruined with wind farms and solar factories and transmission lines, the extent about how much more is planned is just quite incredible.

Webster

It is Chris, it's actually overwhelming. It's overwhelming for all the farmers in my electorate. I've been meeting with them again this week and hearing of the concerns that they have and the impact on the agricultural land. You know, there is a saying in my patch that they don't want mines, lines or turbines, and it's impacting their agricultural output. They're concerned about that, and we need to have a national plan to protect prime agricultural land. I believe this has now reached an incredibly serious place where Chris Bowen can continue to mouth his platitudes and his idealistic green dream as you called it. Meanwhile, farming communities out in the regions are the ones who are bearing the brunt of this. It's just honestly awful, and I don't know what's going to stop it, other than a new government.

Kenny

Yeah, well, look, I don't want to downplay the farming side of it, that's crucial, as you well know, and as we've found out in speaking to communities right around the country over the past couple of years. But there's also the bushland and the forests. You know, anyone who's a conservationist ought to be concerned about the pristine bushland that's being levelled to put in wind farms and the like, and Steven Nowakowski is doing great work, and all credit to him, but he's actually pulling together the statistics and showing with maps and animations what's unfolding. I would have thought it was incumbent upon Chris Bowen and the Albanese Labor government actually to be showing this to the Australian public if they want to claim that we're going to get to net zero that we're saving the planet. They should be open and upfront with the Australian public, explaining to them exactly how many of these projects are going in and where.

Webster

Absolutely, I totally agree with you. But you know, what we're seeing from the Albanese Government is a complete lack of transparency. It doesn't matter what the subject is, they have no intention of allowing the public to be brought along for the journey. All those soft words that we heard before the last election and the election before and Australians are being left in the dark, and we find out the hard way. I'm so grateful that Stephen has put this work together and so many others who are really forming the army, if you like, with conservationists siding with agricultural farmers together, we need to be able to argue this before the government. I'm really hoping that Senate estimates coming up very shortly will expose some of what the Labor Party continue to try and hide.

Kenny

Yeah, they should not be hiding this stuff. They're supposed to be proud of it. Thanks so much for joining us again. Anne, I appreciate it. Anne Webster there - this is so important for regional communities, especially, but for anybody who cares about our farmers, cares about our regional landscapes, and cares about our bushland. You've got to be up front about this stuff.

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