The strong advocacy of The Nationals has today charted a responsible pathway to Net Zero carbon dioxide emissions in Australia by 2050 through the Coalition’s energy policy announcement, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster said today.

“As I have been consistently saying for years, Labor has been steamrolling regional communities in Mallee and beyond without social licence. Labor are trying to build 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines, 22,000 solar panels a day and 40 wind turbines a month to reach an exclusively wind-and-solar path to energy generation,” Dr Webster said.

“Mallee residents have felt the brunt of Labor’s approach with abysmal consultation on the proposed 400 kilometres of VNI West transmission lines and poor – or disingenuous – community consultation by wind turbine proponents across the electorate.”

The Coalition today proposed a restricted number of 7 nuclear power plants across Australia comprising 2 in New South Wales, 1 in Victoria (Loy Yang), 2 in Queensland, and 1 Small Modular Reactor in each of South Australia and Western Australia. Affected communities will benefit and be engaged through a 30-month community consultation process.

“Wind turbines require 360 times more land than nuclear, and photovoltaic solar panels requires 75 times more – and neither figure includes the land needed for transmission lines. Today’s announcement preserves our prime agricultural land and pristine bushland across regional Australia,” Dr Webster said.

“The Coalition’s responsible energy plan stops Labor’s railroading of regional communities dead in its tracks. We can use the existing poles and wires and work with local communities and their skilled energy workforces.  There is no need to rewire the energy grid at enormous cost to Australian energy customers during this cost-of-living crisis.

“Ontario, Canada has 60 per cent nuclear in its energy generation mix and households pay 14 cents per kilowatt hour, a third less than the lowest cost offer in Victoria.  Little wonder Ontario have quadrupled their commitment to next-generation nuclear from 2029.

“A Coalition Government can be trusted to address the cost-of-living crisis and reach Net Zero by 2050.”

More information available at: Australia needs nuclear – A clean, affordable, reliable energy future