May 10, 2023
South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto has called on the LNP to state its position about the impact renewable energy projects are having on regional communities.
Mayor Otto attended a recent community meeting in Kilkivan called by the Kilkivan Action Group’s Katy McCallum.
More than 100 residents affected by Powerlink’s proposed transmission line corridor from Borumba Dam to the Woolooga sub-station attended the evening at Kilkivan Town Hall.
Mayor Otto spoke at the meeting, alongside Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig and Gympie Deputy Mayor Hilary Smerdon.
The Courier-Mail newspaper reported that Mayor Otto urged residents to take the matter to their State and Federal MPs and “expressed his disgust at the silence from the conservative LNP members on the matter”.
In statement to southburnett.com.au, a Council spokesperson said Mayor Otto had attended the meeting to “gain a clear understanding of the community concerns and Powerlink’s process in light of the proposal to also build a new transmission network through the South Burnett region from Borumba Dam to Tarong”.
“Mayor Otto shared concerns expressed by Mayor Hartwig as to the engagement process undertaken and also articulated his Council’s concerns over the lack of proper regulation around community engagement on renewable energy projects in Queensland,” the spokesperson said.
“Both Mayors encouraged the community to reach out to their local State members of Parliament.
“Mayor Otto also called on the LNP as the Opposition party in Queensland to declare its policy position on the impact of these renewable energy projects on regional Queensland communities, siting (sic) the impact of this infrastructure on private landholders along with job losses due to the planned closure of the Tarong Power Station as a major concern for his region.”
Footnote: Both Member for Gympie Tony Perrett and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington sponsored E-petitions from residents to State Parliament earlier this year in regards to the proposed transmission line routes. The Gympie petition attracted 2411 votes before it closed on February 19; and the Nanango petition attracted 668 votes before it closed on March 27.
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Mayor Otto should tune into Sky News after 6:00pm. He might see what the conservative side of politics thinks about renewable energy projects.
MPs Deb Frecklington and Tony Perrett have been making their views – and the community’s views – well-known in George Street for months.
Perhaps it’s time to call on Mayor Otto to wake up and get with the program, rather than vent his spleen on two hard-working local MPs more in touch with their local communities than he apparently is.
PS: If you’re paying attention to Sky News after dark, you may have noticed it’s not really news, it’s opinion (and often ill-informed and/or misleading opinion at that).