Labor: no fracking forever

A SUNNY day on a green hill in Moyarra surrounded by sheep set the backdrop for the State Government’s promise to ban fracking forever in Victoria.
Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio, Victorian Minister for Resources Tim Pallas and Labor candidate for Bass Jordan Crugnale were on hand to make the announcement.
It comes a week after Bass MLA Brian Paynter dismissed Labor’s claims a mistake he made in Parliament meant he supported lifting the fracking ban in Victoria.
At Moyarra, Mr Pallas said at the federal level the Liberal Party was resolutely committed to the idea of ending a fracking ban and seeking to put at risk the state’s agriculture industries.
“Here we are two years into the guarantee through legislation that Victoria will forever be fracking free. We will not be fracking gas and putting at risk 190,000 agricultural jobs,” he said.
“We’ve listened to farmers in Gippsland and across the state, who have made it clear they don’t support fracking.
“Our ban will protect the clean green reputation of Victoria’s agriculture sector and the 13 billion dollar industry.”
Two years ago the State Government passed legislation banning this unconventional gas extraction process which involves injecting a combination of water, sand and chemicals deep into the earth, breaking up rock to allow gas or oil to flow to the surface.
Research indicates the process can contaminate water tables and drinking water, releasing dangerous compounds into the atmosphere affecting public health and the environment.
Also on the day, Prom Country Cheese owners Bronwyn and Burke Brandon were also made recipients of a $5000 energy audit grant from the government.
Ms Lily D’Ambrosio said the grant would allow the business to rely on the production of more clean energy to run the farm and would provide greater energy security during power outages.
Upon receiving the energy audit grant, Mr Brandon said it gave him and his wife the confidence to make investment decisions on energy efficient operations, including an upgrade to their existing solar array.

Clean and green: from left, Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio, Victorian Minister for Resources Tim Pallas, Labor candidate for Bass Jordan Crugnale and Prom Country Cheese owners Bronwyn and Burke Brandon in Moyarra on Wednesday.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Sep 18 2018. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry