The Greens have rebuked the Morrison government’s plan to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on a gas plant announced the very same day that the International Energy Agency made it clear that a safe climate means no new fossil fuel projects, starting now.

In a separate attack on Australia’s economy and climate, the government has quietly amended the ARENA rules to allow the renewables agency to invest in fossil fuels coal and gas.

Lines from Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP:

The Greens will move to outlaw Scott Morrison’s plan to fund a new gas-fired power plant in the Upper Hunter, moving when parliament resumes to block the use of taxpayer funds on new fossil fuels. 

Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP said the Prime Minister now had the weekend to decide whether he wanted to throw up to $600 million at a power plant that serves no purpose other than to accelerate global heating.

As the Prime Minister pins all his hopes on technology to save his government’s complete lack of any climate policy, his financial commitment doesn’t match up to his marketing.

In the wake of President Biden’s announcement of a $2 trillion climate infrastructure package, Scott Morrison has proposed a $539 million hydrogen and CCS hub spend to spruik his low emissions technology strategy, 3700x less in total and 290x less per capita than the Biden administration.

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, will introduce a Bill into the House of Representatives that would prevent the government using the Snowy Hydro group to build new gas-fired power stations. The Bill will be seconded by Independent MP, Zali Steggall.

Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor has given the NSW market until the end of April 2021 to make final investment decisions on 1000 MW of new dispatchable capacity to replace Liddell or he says he will direct Snowy Hydro to invest in a new gas-fired power station in the Hunter.

The Greens have attacked the Prime Minister’s attempted spin on domestic gas reservation, pointing out that it will have no impact on Australian consumers.

AEMO estimates that gas resources from new basins (such as Narrabri and the Beetaloo) will likely cost between $7.28-$9.87 per GJ to extract. When you consider that gas companies aren’t going to sell at a loss, Scott Morrison’s goal to keep new gas for Australian industry below $6 per GJ is clearly absurd.

As the Morrison government talks up fossil fuel subsidies with its so-called ‘gas-led recovery’, only 12% of Australians want our economic recovery to be primarily powered by gas, compared to 59% who prefer investment in renewables.

Under questioning from Greens Senate Leader, Larissa Waters, at Senate Estimates, the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources has confirmed that new, more accurate methods of measuring the climate damage from methane (natural gas) will mean Australia will emit the equivalent of approximately 150 million tonnes more of climate pollution between 2021 and 2030 than previously estimated. Instead of decreasing emissions faster to stay within the existing budget, they will simply increase the amount of permissible emissions.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt and NSW Senator Mehreen Faruqi say the approval of the Narrabri Gas project is the first domino to fall in the Morrison Government’s gas executive-stacked energy plan, which flies in the face of the climate emergency and basic market economics.

The Narrabri Gas project is a climate disaster and it has just been approved, against the will of local farmers and the Gamilaraay Traditional custodians. 

Greens Leader Adam Bandt said:

“Scott Morrison and his gas cartel have just lit the fuse on a giant climate bomb.”

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP, has warned that without meaningful short-term targets, a plan to phase out coal & gas and a focus on green hydrogen, the energy roadmap will be nothing better than an attempt to greenwash the Coalition's existing climate inaction.

"We’re driving towards a climate cliff and Angus Taylor is pressing the accelerator," Mr Bandt said.

Australian Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says today is a grim day for the climate, with the Prime Minister revealing plans to gas-fire Australia’s economic recovery, and Labor abandoning its 2030 climate targets. 

Recent analysis has confirmed that to be consistent with limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees, as set out in the Paris Agreement, Australia would need targets of a 48% cut on 2005 levels by 2030. Net-zero by 2050 alone, without strong 2030 targets, will blow Australia’s ‘2 degree’ budget.