City Limits

This week on City Limits, Kevin and Karina invite Julia Stockigt, secretary of Save Westernport Inc, to discuss their fight against AGL's proposal to import and process gas at Crib Point, and to construct gas pipeline which means probable destruction for life and community in many parts of Victoria. Victorians have set a record for number of submissions in an environmental assessment process, and it is clear, with vocal opposition from many groups and councils including the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, that this dirty gas terminal needs to go. There is a long way to go, however, with state and federal leaders having the final say, and speculation that unfavourable, unsustainable and unecessary projects are being pushed through 'under the cover of COVID'.Here is a list of the company's convictions and fines, up until January 2020. You can access Save Westernport's submission against AGL's environmental effects statement here.Mornington Peninsula Shire Council recently voted unanimously to reject the AGL proposal, stating: The EES “is a weak analysis and gives us no confidence that the environmental impacts of this project can be acceptably managed",that AGL has even "failed to make a strong case for the need to import gas"and "AGL’s Import Jetty and Pipeline Project poses an unacceptable risk to the environment for unproven economic and resource gains".The Council is encouraging everyone to write to the Minister/s to tell them why AGL does NOT belong in Westernport.For the Ministers’ email addresses and suggestions for what to write, see box 3 ‘Write to Local State and Federal MP's’ here.Quotes from councillors:“It is time that the State Government finally listened to their community and scrapped this project before serious damage is done to Western Port Bay, tourism, the fishing industry and people living and working at Crib Point.""All of our State Government Members of Parliament should make their position clear. Will they support their local community and now work to prevent their Government’s approval?”The next step in the fight to STOP AGL in Westernport will be the panel hearings beginning on the 12th October.Later, Adjunct Associate Professor Paddy Moriarty joins the discussion with a background on the 'cleanliness' of natural gas as a power source, methane and carbon dioxide, and Australia's energy usage levels. Access Dr. Moriarty's published work from the past 45 years here and here.