The power plant proposed for Leafs Gully has this week been approved. The announcement by Planning Minister Kristina Keneally did not really come as a shock. The NSW Governement has not really shown itself as a government that actually listens to the constituents of this area. It would not have really mattered if every resident in the area turned out in protest, the outcome would have been the same.
There are a couple of issues to point out.
We need more power.
Are there alternatives to this type of power plant. If they spend the $200 million on renewable power, would it achieve a similar result?
State Rail’s new trains about to be delivered are unable to run properly without significantly more power. As an aside, the fact the State Governemnt went ahead and purchased trains without understanding the power requirements shows just how intelligent they are. but I digress ….
Our area is growing very fast and more power is needed for all the new residences.
It could be worse, it could have been a coal fired station. At least gas is a little bit cleaner.
Power is only one aspect of the infrastructure required to keep pace with the growth. I doubt the government is going to come to the party with the required roads, hospitals, schools, greenspace and other facilities that will be required.
The residents of this area came here for a better lifestyle. Will emissions from the new plant add to growing pollution of the Macarthur area. See my last blogpost
Phil Costa was voted into office becuse he was opposed to the development. I didn’t hear about him crossing the floor to vote against the proposal. No surprises here, he has one of the worst track records of any politicians NSW ever spawned. Also see the story and comment in the Macarthur Chronicle
You can get AGL’s perspective on it’s Leafs Gully Proposal website.
