PRESS RELEASE: PRESS RELEASE – National Rally Against Reckless Renewables – 6 Feb 2024 – Parliament House 10am

The National Rally Against Reckless Renewables is on the first sitting day of Parliament, Tuesday, 6th February 2024, at 10am in front of Parliament House. This peaceful rally is grassroots, representing many diverse regional communities who are directly and adversely affected by the Australian Government’s reckless rollout of “renewables”. We urge the Federal and State Governments to cease their reckless rollout of unreliable, unaffordable, and environmentally destructive wind, solar, limited “firming” batteries, and high-voltage transmission lines, amidst an ever-increasing demand for reliable electricity.
Currently, there are over 1000 new renewable projects in the government’s “Powering Our Nation” pipeline (Source AEMO, 2023). Almost all of these are located in Regional Australia. In the lead-up to most of these “projects”, this government has conducted short, insincere, and unacknowledged community consultation. Exploiting the fact that most of these projects are located in or near coastal, farming, and traditional communities with small populations, the government continues to disregard our concerns. In many cases, our right to judicial review or appeal has or will be removed.
Australian consumers, taxpayers, and industries require an electricity network that is efficient, safe, reliable, secure, and affordable. It is critical for Australia, now and in the future, to establish a network that does not damage our unique environment, particularly productive agricultural land, fisheries, and native habitats.
This government’s reckless rollout of “renewables” poses a significant threat to our nation, threatening food production for Australians and 80 million consumers globally. Our fauna and flora are facing unprecedented destruction, as hundreds of thousands of hectares of land and ocean floors are being deforested and/or damaged. It is posing a threat to our economy, costing over $121 billion (AEMO, 2023). There are documented serious supply chain and sustainment issues, and therefore reliability risks, potentially leading to mass blackouts. Massive taxpayer subsidies and electricity bills will flow offshore for decades to the many “greenwashed” multinationals lined up for these subsidised “investments”.
This rally is a coalition of grassroots community groups united under the National Rational Energy Network. We call upon the Australian Government to:
1. Conduct an urgent Senate Inquiry: Establish a Senate Inquiry to scrutinise the technical veracity as well as the excessive economic, social and environmental costs of “renewables”, and the escalating risks to our national interest and security. This includes reviewing the committed, anticipated, actionable and future projects being fast-tracked by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water, in particular the Capacity Investment Scheme, Rewiring the Nation, Offshore Wind Projects, and expanding unelected overreaching organisations including the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, Climate Change Authority, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Australian Energy Market Operator, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and Clean Energy Council.
2. Suspend all “renewable energy” projects: We call on the Australian Government to convene the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Energy Council and request all states and territories suspend wind, solar, hydro and associated transmission construction until the above Senate Inquiry reports.
3. Lift the ban on nuclear power: Nuclear energy has the lowest overall greenhouse gas emissions of any energy source as a result of its low land footprint, low material usage, and low waste output. The current ban is archaic, restraining Australia from achieving a strong reliable energy future.
This is a national grassroots call for a responsible and sustainable approach to our energy future. We urge the Australian government to prioritise the well- being of our environment, communities, and the future of our nation.

LIST OF SPEAKERS (note subject to change on the day) – note all relevant elected representatives invited:

[10.00am Mr Grant Piper] [10.10am Ms Gemma Pride] [10.20am Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price] [10.30am Mr Craig Kelly] [10.40am Senator Ralph Babet] [10.50am Senator Ross Cadell] [11.00am Hon Barnaby Joyce MP] [11.10am The Hon Dr David Gillespie MP] [11.20 Senator the Hon. Matthew Canavan] [11.30am Senator Malcolm Roberts] [11.40 Senator Gerrard Rennick] [11.50 Mr Llew O’Brien & Mr Colin Boyce MP] [12.00 Ms Katy McCallum & Mr Jim Willmott [12.20 The Hon. Tania Mihailuk, BEc, LLB, LLM MLC] [12.30 Music] [12.40 Mr Aidan Morrison] [12.50 Dr Anne Webster MP] [13.00pm Mr Russel Broadbent MP] [13.10 Mr Tim Dean] [13.20 Senator Pauline Hanson] [13.30 Mr Tony Pasin MP] [13.40 Mr Bob Katter MP] [ 13.50 Mr Steven Tripp] [14.00 Ms Mary Morris] [ 14.10 Ms Sybelle Foxcroft & Jonelle Neilson] [14.30 Mr Alan Moran] [14.40 Ms Amanda De Lore] [ 14.50 Professor Peter Ridd] [ 15.00 Ms Kate Mason] [ 15.10 Mr Paul Funnell] [15.20 Mr Kevin Loughrey] [15.30 Mr Geoff Grimshaw] [ 15.40 Mr Sam McGuinnes] [15:50 Mr Bruce Murray] [ 16:10 Mr Daniel Wilde] [ 16.20 Mr Rob Parker] [16.30 Mr Glen Isherwood] [ 16.40 Ms Vesna Cerroni]

MEDIA CONTACTS FOR INTERVIEW

Grant Piper, Chair, National Rational Energy Group, NSW National Rational Energy Network (NREN): 0438 890 242 or [email protected]
Mary Morris, Mid North and Barossa Valley Community SA , Twin Creek Wind Zone, Mid North and Barossa Valley Community SA : 0438 066 634 or [email protected]
Troy Radford, President, Newcastle & Port Stephens Game Fish Club Ltd, Hunter REZ, NSW Hunter Offshore Wind Zone: 300+ turbines – 1,854km2: 0439 012 714 or [email protected]
Amanda De Lore, Illawarra REZ Offshore Wind Zone: 1,461km: [email protected]
Katy McCallum, Kilkivan Action Group: 0408 742 860 or [email protected]
Jim Willmot, Kilkivan Action Group, QLD: 0439 451 473 or [email protected]
Bruce Murray, President HNTG Progress Association, NSW Hunter Offshore Wind Zone: 300+ turbines – 1,854km2: 0432 764 333 or [email protected]
Bill Stinson, National Rational Energy Network (NREN): 0409 489 583 or [email protected]

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