When I first became a farmer, I was reminded of the adage “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging”. This could be equally good advice for politicians such as the local state member for the Southern Downs, James Lister.
Like the small group of hobby farmers and lifestyle block residents that have settled in the rural zoned area of Greymare, Mr. Lister is supporting the ‘not in my neighbourhood’ argument against renewable energy developments in the region.
Mr Lister has stated in various responses to an article that I wrote criticising his speech to the QLD Parliament on 21 May, that he was seeking broad representation at a public meeting held in Greymare on 17 May and that we as landholders considering a windfarm development were invited to attend. This is incorrect. He did contact my wife to encourage us to attend this meeting, but he was told clearly that we would not attend on principle, as the meeting was a partisan anti-windfarm gathering, but further we would not be available due to a conflicting engagement.
I have attached a flyer advertising this so-called public meeting at Greymare for the readers to make their own judgement as to the purpose of the gathering. Not only does this flyer make it abundantly clear that the meeting is only for those wishing to protest any future renewable development in the region, but it also highlights that Mr Lister was the key attendee of the meeting and that his intention was to represent their anti-windfarm point of view to State Parliament.
This Mr Lister duly did in his speech to Parliament on 21 May, deriding future renewable energy projects in the Southern Downs.
Having been personally vilified by several of the protesters whose views Mr Lister represented to Parliament, it is interesting to note that some of the most vocal opponents to future renewable projects within the region at this and subsequent meetings have not fully declared their own conflicts.
While not all of the anti-windfarm protesters have conflicts, a number are either fly in fly out (FIFO) or drive in drive out (DIDO) employees and sub-contractors working in either the mining and/or mining support industries, while others still are previous proponents of renewable energy projects from other regions.
While they feel free to attack those contemplating being part of a renewable energy development in the Southern Downs, they fail to declare their own interests. Presumably therefore, they do not have any philosophical issues with mining or renewable energy developments, but their key issue is the proximity to their own properties.
So, while they are against renewable energy production in ‘their backyard’, some are happy to derive their income and all their power supplies from ‘someone else’s backyard’.
Mr Lister has been made aware of the hypocrisy of some of these protesters, but instead continues to ‘dig a hole’ by maintaining his stated position that he wants all renewable projects in Western Queensland and on single properties.
I wonder how Mr Lister plans to build the transmission infrastructure to bring the power from Western Queensland to the East Coast where the demand is required, and further how many property owners will be affected by the requirement for new transmission towers and lines through their properties to support his plan (when the infrastructure already exists in the Renewable Energy Zones identified by the Queensland Government in the Southern Downs)?
Significant engineering analysis and consultation with the public was conducted when the Renewable Energy Zones were being developed, but until now there has been no public outcry nor political backlash from the state member.
If Mr Lister wants to support the residents of the Southern Downs during this period of transition to renewable energy production for the region, could I suggest that he arrange a broad ranging public meeting with representation from protest groups, land holders considering developments, windfarm operators and developers, local council and the relevant chambers of commerce to discuss how to leverage these developments for the benefit of this region. Perhaps at a meeting such as this, he will see the diversity of opinion within his electorate, and indeed the strong support that exists for these developments, with the flow through benefits to the community. Thus informed, Mr Lister may move on from his anti-windfarm advocacy.
That is a meeting I would happily attend and provide my views.
Jamie McDonald,
Rodgers Creek.
