AGL chief determined to turn Liddell into renewables hub

The AGL chief executive, Andy Vesey, says he plans to “fully execute” his vision of transforming the Liddell coal-fired power station into a renewables hub, saying it will bring cheaper, greener and more reliable energy, while providing quality, long-term jobs for decades.

 AGL’s Andy Vesey speaks at an event in Sydney on Friday,
 where he also addressed the Liddell plant issue. 

Vesey left little doubt about his desired future for the plant during a speech on energy policy on Friday, again defying renewed pressure from the Turnbull government.

He said transforming the site into an integrated renewables hub – comprising renewable generation, batteries, gas and demand response – would be vastly preferable to extending its life for several years. 

Read the story by Christoper Knaus from The Guardian - “AGL chief determined to turn Liddell into renewables hub.”

Mall future still far from clear

The central business district needs a clearer, and greener, future vision, the Goulburn Valley Environment Group says.

President John Pettigrew says the group’s position on directions for developing the CBD has been made clear to Greater Shepparton City Council.

GVEG president, John Pettigrew - Shepparton's
CBD needs a clearer, greener, future vision.

‘‘If there’s one thing that disappointed me more than anything else, it seems to be a lack of vision to what the CBD might look like in a decade’s time.’’

Until a longer term vision was created, ‘‘there’ll be short-term mistakes made’’.

But Council sustainable development director Johann Rajaratnam pointed to a number of roadmap documents which look at visions and directions for the city and the CBD.

Mr Pettigrew said green areas would be more needed into the future, not just on the city’s fringes but in the centre.

He said it seemed recent moves to push ahead with learning more about a trial mall reopening had not had much basis and described the potential for losing established trees to accommodate traffic as a decision the city might regret.

Mr Rajaratnam stressed a number of options were being pursued in relation to the mall, which would soon allow councillors to decide on a suitable response.

He said seeking more information about these options, including a trial reopening, would establish the hard data necessary ‘‘before we go down the path of doing anything’’.

‘‘That’s why this step is critical.

‘‘It takes it out of public opinion and into the realm of hard data,’’ he said.

Read the story from today’s Shepparton News - “Mall future still far from clear.”

Corporations claim they are 'green', but the world is acutally getting greener

M

any corporations claim they are “green”, but research has shown that the world is actually getting greener.

The research, published in Nature Climate Change, is explored in article on The Conversation entitled: “Despite decades of deforestation, the Earth is getting greener”.

The Nature article shows that the world has actually got greener over the past decade and this is, The Conversation reports: “Despite ongoing deforestation in South America and Southeast Asia, we found that the decline in these regions has been offset by recovering forests outside the tropics, and new growth in the drier savannas and shrublands of Africa and Australia”.

Pointing out that more plants may mean more absorption of carbon dioxide.” If so, this will slow but not stop climate change,” The Conversation points out.