Three community groups have joined together to form the Tweed Renewables Alliance to campaign for Big Solar.
Representing around 500 members, the Alliance wants to see Australia commit to building 2000MW of large scale solar by the end of 2012.
Members of the Alliance gathered around Fingal Head Lighthouse to form a model of a concentrating solar thermal plant, with the lighthouse representing the solar tower.
“Renewable energy is cleaner and safer than energy from coal and gas. What’s more, large-scale solar power is cheaper than gas, will create more jobs in regional Australia, and as shown in Spain and the US, can provide baseload power,” spokesperson Yasir Assam said.
“2000MW of coal-fired plants are due to retire. If we replace these with gas we lock ourselves into the global gas market for decades and we will be subject to price shocks and rising power bills.
“This has special relevance for the Northern Rivers, as some of that gas will come from the coal seam gas mines that threaten our local community. Coal seam gas is destroying our farmland and polluting our air and water.
“Sunlight is clean, free and lasts forever, and on the sunniest continent on earth, it makes sense to bypass gas and go straight to solar.
“We are calling on Justine Elliot and the Energy Minister to ensure that 2000MW of Big Solar projects will be committed to by the end of 2012,” Mr Assam concluded.
The campaign aims to poll 10,000 people face-to-face to gauge support for Big Solar. The Big Solar Poll will be launched at the Imperial Hotel in Murwillumbah on Wednesday 14 March at 7pm. Half hour talks will be given by Al Gore trained local GP Dr Fiona McCormick, and Dr Paul Taylor author of “The Biochar Revolution”, for an update on the latest on climate science and 100 per cent renewable energy. This will be followed by a group discussion on the Big Solar Poll. The results of the poll will be taken to Justine Elliot in early May.
