GOOD NEWS ON RENEWABLE TARGET PROPOSAL

Federal Lyons MP Eric Hutchinson welcomed today’s Government Renewable Energy Target proposal for Labor as particularly positive for Tasmania – “Australia’s energy renewable capital”.

“It’s a fantastic result which will provide certainty for investment and is way beyond the original 20 per cent target,’’ Mr Hutchinson said.

The Federal Government presented the proposal to Labor calling for a 33,000 gigawatt hour Renewable Energy Target which equates to about a 23.5 per cent Renewable Energy Target by 2020.

Mr Hutchinson said that what was “terribly disappointing,’’ about the proposal was Labor’s unwillingness to consider including the use of residue from native forest operations.

“All around the world biomass has been considered for some time as a legitimate energy source,’’ he said.

Mr Hutchinson called on Tasmanian Labor Senators and Franklin MHR Julie Collins to bring pressure to stop the obvious influence on the Labor Party on this issue from “inner city Left elite”.

“This was always Labor Party policy, a constraint of the previous government and listed as a legitimate energy source,” Mr Hutchinson said.

“It’s clear that when it comes to forestry that Labor is now in lock step with the Greens,”
Federal Lyons MHR Eric Hutchinson