The Government’s gas-led recovery is squandering a golden opportunity to ramp up investment in renewable energy by bailing out the dying gas industry. We will not stand by while the government ignores decades of opposition from communities, Traditional Owners, environmentalists and the majority of Australians who don’t want public money propping up failed fossil fuel projects.
GetUp’s First Nations Justice Campaign Director Larissa Baldwin said:
“There is no social licence for fracking, it’s bad news for the climate, and it’s a bad investment to pour public money into the dying gas industry.
“The public will not stand by while Scott Morrison and Angus Taylor give billion dollar handouts to prop up their fossil fuel mates - will we fight it.
“Bailing out giant gas companies who can’t secure private investment with public money doesn’t stack up on financial or environmental grounds.
“Throwing public money at unviable gas projects will lock in more fossil fuels at a time when we are rapidly trying to reduce emissions - it doesn’t make sense.
“We risk losing this golden opportunity for a clean energy recovery - we should be ramping up public investment in clean renewable energy from the sun and the wind.
“Instead Morrison’s fossil fuel mates have conned his government into reviving the dying gas industry with public money to chase the myth of cheap gas.
“The fundamental failure of the Morrison Government plan is there is no market demand for a big increase in gas - if there was we would have seen private investment.
“Our land and water will be irrevocably destroyed by thousands of fracking wells and huge pipelines - we can’t prop up these giant lemons while the rest of the world embraces renewable power.
“Traditional Owners and communities have overwhelmingly opposed fracking on their land for decades because it will be a catastrophe for the climate and water, and won’t provide anywhere near the number of jobs the sales pitch promises.
“It’s time for the Morrison Government to cut the strings of the fossil fuel lobbyists and show leadership by rapidly investing in clean, renewable energy and jobs for the future,” said Larissa Baldwin.