The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) said the construction of a gas power station would be a “backwards step, further underpinning the state’s long-term reliance on a dirty fossil fuel that continues to stand in the way of a genuine clean energy transition”.

CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts called on the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to give Alinta Energy’s proposed Cataby Power Station “full and proper consideration” after it waved through Hancock Prospecting’s Belisama gas processing plant in the Mid West without assessment.

“We’re calling for a Public Environmental Review (PER) of the Cataby proposal to enable detailed scrutiny of the project’s consistency with emissions reduction pathways, and its contribution to cumulative greenhouse gas emissions,” Mr Roberts said.

“The Cataby proposal would be responsible for more than 39 million tonnes of climate pollution between now and 2050 — a significant level of emissions that the EPA needs to carefully consider if it wants to live up to its name as our environmental watchdog.

“What’s more, this proposal could have impacts on biodiversity and habitat for endangered Carnaby’s black cockatoos in the Wheatbelt and Mid West regions.

“Even where clearing areas may appear to be relatively small, cumulative habitat loss across the region remains a key issue, impacting breeding, roosting and foraging habitat.

“The EPA recently gave Gina Rinehart the green light for the Belisama gas processing plant in the Mid West without a proper assessment - it can’t get in the habit of waving through dirty fossil fuel projects which will hold WA back from reaching its potential to build a strong renewable energy industry.

“Western Australians are enthusiastic about the renewable energy transition — as demonstrated by the massive uptake of both rooftop solar and electric vehicles. They’re doing their part, and now the WA government and energy providers need to step up and do likewise.

“Polling shows that 73% of Western Australians want a Renewable Energy Target, and yet we remain the only state without one. This project does not send the right signals to the market.

“It’s incredulous to think the government would even consider approving a new gas-fired power plant. Instead, we need to make the most of the sun and wind resources we’re lucky to have in abundance in our state.

“In times of global uncertainty, renewables are cheaper, more reliable, and more secure than dirty fossil fuels like gas.”

The EPA’s public comment period on whether or not the proposal should be assessed closes today.

ENDS

Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780