Media Statements
Joint Statement - Labor's offshore wind failure continues
Joint Statement – Labor’s offshore wind failure continues
James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change
David Davis, Shadow Minister for Energy, Affordability and Security
Roma Britnell, Shadow Minister for Ports and Freight
17 January 2024.
The chaos surrounding Labor’s offshore wind failure worsens as new reports reveal Labor ignored warnings from Victoria’s lead infrastructure authority over the suitability of the Port of Hastings for further development.
In 2017, Infrastructure Victoria warned the Labor Government that any further development of the Port of Hastings would face significant environmental challenges.
Despite being alerted to these issues, the Allan Government failed to address or provide options to mitigate it in its recently rejected proposal to build the Renewable Energy Terminal.
Shadow Minister for Environment, James Newbury, said: “The Allan Government has behaved like environmental vandals.
“Labor has been caught out covering up advice from its key infrastructure body which raised concerns that the proposal was a serious environment risk.”
Shadow Minister for Energy, Affordability and Security, David Davis, said: “Labor have botched their approach to offshore wind. Incompetently the Minister for Energy has put forward shallow and inadequate material to the Commonwealth despite having clear warnings that there would be trouble.
“Labor’s failure will put further cost pressure on Victorian families and businesses. Higher prices and unreliable supply are clear risks because of the Ministers’ failed approach.”
Shadow Minister for Ports and Freight, Roma Britnell, said: “Once again, this arrogant government has ignored all advice including from their own infrastructure agency.
“This proposed port investment is another example of a mismanaged major infrastructure project that has been rushed through without proper planning or consultation.”
James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change
David Davis, Shadow Minister for Energy, Affordability and Security
Roma Britnell, Shadow Minister for Ports and Freight