PHILIP HOPKINS
By PHILIP HOPKINS
BLIND ideology that ignores practical action and local knowledge is undermining the role that the Latrobe Valley can play in helping to fight global warming, according to a prominent Gippsland figure, Richard Elkington OAM. Mr Elkington was speaking at a recent public forum in Pakenham. The forum was part of a series of forums arranged by Liberty Events to promote increased understanding of major issues facing the state and the nation. He said government policy should use the Valley’s comparative advantages – a rational use of lignite and fostering hydrogen production – to position the region to play a bigger climate role and also create economic and social development. Mr Elkington outlined his qualifications that justified him speaking to the forum. These included his profession as a mechanical engineer who had spent his working life in Latrobe Valley power stations; as a former chair of Regional Development Australia Gippsland and Gippsland Water; and his experience in managing greenhouse compliance, government relations and brown coal research. He is also a life member of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Commenting on the socio-political environment, Mr Elkington said there was general community acceptance of human-induced climate change. However, the debate was highly partisan, with hard positions on all sides. “Alternative views are not tolerated, and there is a huge amount of virtue-signalling and greenwashing,” he said. “The issues are complex, and we all feel disempowered. It is difficult to obtain a ‘neutral’ view.” This came at a time when the Australian population was tipped to rise to 40.5 million within four decades, which was likely to exacerbate the country’s economic and social pressures. Mr Elkington said ideology driven by high emotion and often hysteria had brought about distortions on a practical way to deal with climate issues. The role of brown coal, and even that of gas, in energy production had been demonised and neglected in the blind pursuit of renewable energy as the sole solution. The favouring of renewables at the expense of brown coal power stations had distorted energy market and had led to stunts like the recreation of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. “This has forced up prices of fossil-fuelled energy and baked in high electricity and gas prices. It has forced the early decline and closure of power plants, including brown coal plants,” he said. “Rational analysis has been distorted. There has been no proper business case, which has potentially stranded the Victorian gas and lignite sectors. This has undermined operation, maintenance and investment and spurned investors. “This has resulted in the pursuit of high-cost abatement options through mandated actions. Mining and coal have become dirty words.” Why did we do this to ourselves? Mr Elkington asked rhetorically. It was due to a lack of will, short-term decision-making and political realities. “There has been a lack of understanding of how energy works by decision makers, a pandering to special interest groups and a lack of a broad-based approach. The media and community have acquiesced into a panicked reaction,” he said. Mr Elkington said this situation had made Australia self-centred with a belief it could play a big climate role and underestimate the difficulties other countries had in climate action. “Australia is not a silo extending to the heavens. Much of the rest of the world has a right to aspire to the same standards of living,” he said – and that meant using fossil fuels to power cheap energy, boost economic growth and overcome poverty. Mr Elkington said Australia had thus avoided dealing with major issues of national interest. “We have abandoned manufacturing,” he said. “We have created a distorted, not lower cost transition. In its place was a plethora of transition plans, of bread and circuses.” In contrast, Mr Elkington said Australia should talk about the ‘big picture’. “Utilise our competitive advantages, address real issues of concern in our society and recognise that a different approach is necessary,” he said. Mr Elkington said Australia should recognise that some adaptation was required. “Have a real open debate and recognise market realities – pursue hydrogen production, pursue lignite use and invest in renewables research,” he said.
