Taxpayers’ money could help underwrite projects that burn household rubbish to produce electricity after the Federal coalition put its weight behind the contentious technology.
Shadow environment minister Greg Hunt said the Federal Opposition was “extremely supportive” of “waste-to-energy” as a renewable electricity source and would look favourably on funding proposals.
The position is likely to draw the ire of State Labor and green groups, which claim waste-to-energy is a lazy way of avoiding recycling.
Ahead of the State election in March, Labor vowed to oppose the plants in WA on grounds they were a low-rent solution to the State’s poor recycling record.
The comments by Mr Hunt, who stands to become environment minister if the coalition wins the Federal election, come amid a race to develop Australia’s first major waste-to-energy plant in WA.
It emerged in April that Perth group New Energy had approval from WA’s Environmental Protection Authority for a $180 million power station at Port Hedland, to be fuelled by 100,000 tonnes of Pilbara rubbish.
New Energy has plans for another plant at Kwinana and a Melbourne company backed by Janet Holmes a Court is pushing for a giant $400 million, 60MW station in the same precinct.
Mr Hunt said that under the coalition’s direct action plan to tackle climate change, waste-to-energy and biomass plants would be eligible for Federal funding.
Biomass plants use wood to produce electricity.
“Under us, it’s something that can and will be part of both renewable energy and emissions reduction funds approaches,” Mr Hunt said. “Rather than just trading bits of paper and driving up the price of electricity we’re focused on doing practical things that reduce emissions through incentives.”
Funding for waste-to-energy projects would form a key plank of coalition plans to win green votes.
Other measures include Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s vow to create a “green army” of volunteers to plant trees, revegetate dunes and restore river banks and “cleaning up” coal-fired power stations. DID YOU KNOW? $180m The cost of the power station to be built at Port Hedland
