Former Greens leader Bob Brown takes a stand AGAINST a Tasmanian wind farm
Former Greens leader and veteran activist Dr Bob Brown is campaigning to stop a $1.6 billion wind farm development in Tasmania because it will spoil the view and kill birds.
It’s an unexpected move from the Greens veteran, who has campaigned for renewable energy for decades.
“The environmental and social and economic consequences are beyond avail,” he told 3AW’s Tom Elliott.
“These wind farms, as good as they are for renewable energy … there comes a point where they become too destructive.
“This (Robbins Island) is a focus point for migratory birds all over the world.”
Dr Brown said the impacts of the proposed Robbins Island project haven’t been adequately assessed.
“We need to see the social, financial and environmental impact studies before we have governments and corporations saying they’re going ahead with this,” he said.
The Greens veteran said the massive project is unlikely to benefit Tasmania.
“When we see a big project like this going ahead, we want to know whether it is going to support Tasmania’s schools, and its hospitals, and its police stations,” he said.
“Let’s not get into another round of simply ripping off this state with multinational corporations that are not returning properly to the state itself.”
Tom Elliott took Dr Brown to task for his failure to support the renewable energy project.
“We’re supposed to accept that renewables can take the place of coal fired generation, and here’s you opposing a 200 tower plus wind farm,” the 3AW Drive host said.
“It doesn’t, on the face of it, add up.”
“Would you put solar panels on the Opera House?,” the former Greens leader retorted.
“I think there’s limits to what we do.”
