Feature Story - 9 February, 2012
UPDATE: When Prime Minister Gillard declared there would be no new dirty power stations built in Australia, could she have known what Energy Minister Minister Ferguson had planned for her?
Today we are astounded by the decision by Mr Ferguson, to allow coal company, HRL, another six months to meet unfulfilled criteria for a $100 million Federal coal grant. The decision makes a complete mockery of the Prime Minister’s promise and undermines the credibility of her carbon pollution strategy.
With friends like Mr Ferguson, who needs enemies?
Yesterday, Greenpeace and Environment Victoria where in Canberra delivering a petition to stop a new coal power station being built. The petition calls on parliament to cancel a $100 million grant currently allocated to a new dirty coal power station and give that money to renewable energy instead.
Over the past four months, volunteers and supporters have amassed 12,667 signatures to the petition which, if successful, will see a coal company called “HRL” stripped of its taxpayer funded grant – a move that could result in the collapse of its proposed dirty coal project.
Read more about our campaign to stop HRL from building a new dirty coal power station.
The petition was tabled by Mr Kelvin Thomson MP, Labor member for Wills. This effectively means that Mr Thomson is calling on his own government to cancel HRL’s grant. Mr Thomson and Mr Adam Bandt, Greens member for Melbourne, both attended a rally last week to protest the HRL dirty coal project.
HRL recently failed to meet a deadline set by the Prime Minister of 31 December 2011 to meet the conditions of its grant. Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner Julien Vincent, included this as one of eleven reasons why HRL’s grant should be cancelled in a recent opinion piece.
Prime Minister Gillard promised to not build any more dirty coal-fired power stations in Australia. Help us make sure she sticks to this commitment and secures a clean energy future for our nation.
Take action to help us win this campaign!
Use this lunchtime to contact the Prime Minister and Energy Minister directly by calling, emailing or tweeting them. It’s easy and effective and will ensure your voice is heard even louder.
For contact details and tips on what to say please click here.
Sign up to receive updates and actions to support the campaign to stop HRL by emailing 