Liddell plant: Gladys’ fight to halt closure of NSW power plant
PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian has raised the possibility of the state government intervening to prevent the closure of a Hunter Valley coal-fired power station as a way of guaranteeing cheap and reliable electricity for the state.
NSW
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PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian has raised the possibility of the state government intervening to prevent the closure of a Hunter Valley coal-fired power station as a way of guaranteeing cheap and reliable electricity for the state.
Speaking on The Daily Telegraph’s Miranda Live radio podcast, Ms Berejiklian said “there’s a whole range of options” on the issue her government was exploring.
The AGL-run Liddell power plant is due for closure in 2022, despite an unsuccessful bid by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to persuade the owners to extend the life of the plant or sell it.
Asked by columnist Miranda Devine whether she would step in to buy the plant or help the company keep it open, Ms Berejiklian said: “We could potentially, there’s a whole range of options we’re looking at … I don’t want to say too much.”
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In Victoria, the closure of the Hazelwood coal-fired power plant has contributed to electricity price hikes across the country.
Ms Berejiklian said it was a “challenge for us if other states don’t act responsibility — we are impacted”.
“We could have the best policies in the world in NSW but if other states don’t act responsibly it affects us because we’re part of the national grid when it comes to electricity,” she said.
During a wideranging interview she also stood behind her embattled Transport Minister Andrew Constance, describing him as “hard working” and “dedicated”.
Despite claims he’d misled the public over his “captain’s pick” name of Ferry McFerryface for the Sydney Harbour ferry, revealed in freedom of information documents, Ms Berejiklian said she had confidence in him and all her Cabinet colleagues.
She said she was confident talks between the train driver’s union and transport authorities were progressing well and denied she’d had to step in over the top of Mr Constance to prevent strike action by train drivers over wages and conditions.
“I think the people of NSW would expect the Premier to make sure she was doing everything she could to prevent disruption,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I don’t want to look back and think, ‘Could I have done something to prevent that inconvenience?’
“Fortunately it didn’t come to that. He’s hard working and he’s dedicated.”
But the Premier earlier indicated her embattled minister could have done better in handling the naming of the ferry — which is now to be called the May Gibbs.
“All of us from time to time look back and think we could’ve handled things differently or better,” she said. “That goes without saying.”
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