Des Houghton: Greenies silent on planned bulldozing of ‘koala central’ for huge wind farm

If you need any more evidence that green zealotry has entered the delusional phase, this is it, writes Des Houghton. VOTE IN POLL

Koala habitats will be ripped apart to build wind farms in central Queensland so state and federal Labor governments can chase their fantasy of meeting useless, costly and unobtainable renewable energy targets.

If you need any more evidence that green zealotry has entered the delusional phase, this is it in my opinion.

Federal and state environment ministers Tanya Plibersek and Leanne Linard and previous enviro minister Meaghan Scanlon have, perhaps unwittingly, paved the way for koalas to be sacrificed on the renewable energy altar to appease the green evangelists.

Here I have to say I am on the side of the koalas. And I remind Plibersek and Linard that in 2022 the status of the koala was changed from vulnerable to endangered in Queensland and NSW.

Linard said the Palaszczuk Government was strongly committed to protecting and conserving koalas and their habitat.

Not strong enough, it seems, to dissuade Plibersek from using her ministerial powers to approve Lotus Creek wind farm on the Nebo-Connors Range 175km northwest of Rockhampton.

Earlier this year The Courier-Mail reported the project by the South Korean-owned Ark Energy will have 55 wind turbines able to generate 1.7 million megawatt hours of renewable energy a year – enough to power 305,000 homes.

Politicians. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pats CJ the koala during a visit to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

In approving the project, Plibersek overturned a decision by her Coalition predecessor Sussan Ley, who in 2020 said the wind farm was as “clearly unacceptable” and in breach of federal environment laws, partly because the site was home to koalas and other species afflicted by the previous summer’s catastrophic bushfires.

The Plibersek approval of the Lotus Creek project gave the green light to the bulldozing of old-growth forest containing 341ha of known koala habitat, The Australian reported.

However, The Australian said that figure was likely to be underestimated.

The national daily quoted renowned nature photographer Steven Nowakowski describing the forest as “koala central”.

There are more threats to our beloved koalas. I noticed protesters outside The Courier-Mail’s Bush Summit in Rockhampton waving Save the Koala placards when objecting to state government approval of the Moah Creek wind turbine development on untouched native bushland 30km west of Rockhampton. The project put 380ha of koala habitat at the mercy of the bulldozers, The Courier-Mail reported.

It seems absurd to me that the Labor government refuses to approve dams, coal and gas projects on environmental grounds while approving wind turbines that are clearly a direct threat to an endangered species.

And I haven’t heard a word of protest from animal rights activists, the Queensland Greens, or the Australian Conservation Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund or Friends of the Earth. Why?

The Plibersek approval of the Lotus Creek project gave the green light to the bulldozing of old-growth forest containing 341ha of known koala habitat. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

More pain may be coming for the endangered koala. Plibersek has now been asked to approve 88 giant turbines in the middle of an upland tropical forest at Chalumbin on the Atherton Tableland, where 844ha of koala habitat were identified in the original plan.

The developer is the same corporation backing Lotus Creek.

The ABC reported the controversial $1 billion wind farm was adjacent to World Heritage-protected rainforests. And that the project was scaled back from the original 200 turbines in an effort to appease conservationists and some traditional owners.

Conservationists opposed to the Chalumbin wind farm, two hours southwest of Cairns, say it would pose a threat to a number of animals including the northern greater glider, the red goshawk, the magnificent brood frog, the masked owl and the spectacled flying fox. I haven’t heard a peep out of Linard or Palaszczuk about this.

Alarm bells are ringing. Documents tabled by federal parliament Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young show the federal Environment Department is assessing 140 proposals with the potential to have a detrimental impact on koalas.

Plibersek is the ultimate decision- maker on developments that affect threatened species.

In state parliament Shane Knuth from Katter’s Australia Party gave a valuable perspective.

“This wind farm will comprise some of the tallest turbines in the Southern Hemisphere which will destroy forest and threaten endangered species,” he told the House.

Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Linard holds Spoon the koala after announcing funding to deliver koala threat management initiatives, on National Threatened Species Day at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

“To further highlight the renewable fantasy to achieve the government’s 50 per cent renewable target by 2030, this will require an additional 2,200 megawatts of new renewables, which means 540,000 hectares of land has to be cleared for wind farms, excluding transmission lines.

“As long as it is a wind farm, foreign-owned companies can clear whatever they like.

“Governments continue to knock back any new water project proposed while at the same time wind farms are given a free pass to completely destroy natural habitat.’’

Knuth specifically referred to the abandoned Tully-Millstream hydro-electric Scheme that was “a clean, green approved project” that would have powered 100,000 homes.

“It was abandoned in 1988 due to the declaration of the Wet Tropics World Heritage area,” he said.

Knuth is right.

It is clear to me that state and federal Labor environmental ministers are ignoring the serious threats posed by renewable energy projects.

So are the Greens as they continue their long march to gain control of federal, state and local governments.

POLITICIANS’ PROPS IN GRAVE DANGER

How endearing it must appear to the folks at home to see their politicians cuddling up to koalas on the six o’clock news or in glossy newspaper photographs.

Looks can be deceiving. Under Labor’s watch koalas have been downgraded from vulnerable to endangered.

Since Annastacia Palaszczuk swept to power on pledges to protect the environment 3680ha of koala habit have been surrendered for seven wind turbine farms that are either operating or under construction, according to a study by environmental charity agency Rainforest Reserves Australia. The organisation has identified another 6500ha of threatened koala habitat in proposals still on the table, bringing the total to more than 100sq km of threatened koala habitat in Queensland alone. Earlier this year Linard responded to the koala crisis by launching a new app.

“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to protecting and conserving koala populations and their habitat, and the new QWildlife Koala Sighting App is proof of our dedication to the environment and all our magnificent native species,” she said.

“The app gives the public an opportunity to work with our Queensland Parks and Wildlife rangers and researchers by providing valuable information on where koalas are living.”

Perhaps it will be used by wildlife officers to track the koalas’ escape routes as the bulldozers move in.