Hunter Power Project (Kurri Kurri Power Station)

Gas is a fossil fuel. Why on earth are you throwing money away by investing in something that harms our environment and damages our children's future?
This project should never have been considered. Invest in renewable energy please!!

In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence pointing to the need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, I wholeheartedly oppose the building of new fossil fuel power plants. The financial and environmental cases simply do not stack up. Why should our taxes pay for projects that will have a demonstrably negative impact on our, and more importantly future generations? Please do not go ahead with this project.

I strongly object to the building of a new gas plant in Kurri Kurri when the International Energy Agency has released a report making it clear that to avoid catastrophic climate change, there can be no new gas plants.

The Kurri Kurri gas plant will be built less than an hour's drive from where an existing Commonwealth-owned gas plant uses less than 1% of its total capacity. Even the Government's own Chair of Energy Security Board says the Kurri Kurri project "doesn't stack up, because it's expensive power".

The chairman of the McCloy Group, who is set to own the land on which the plant is to be built, is a major Liberal Party donor and there is a clear conflict of interests for the Federal Government to have committed $600 million to this project. Jeff McCloy gave evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption that he gave tens of thousands in secret donations to Liberal Party candidates. Approving the project which is clearly not in the interests of the public in the face of a climate crisis is condemnable.

Clean energy projects are the way of the future and the global economy. Proceeding with a new gas plant in a climate crisis is reckless, wasteful and a gross misuse of public money.

I object to the project. This project is not necessary, given that the government can and should be investing in achieving a flexible, reliable and low-cost energy system that is based on renewable sources. This is waste of public money based on misguided ideology, and is only delaying the investments that are actually required.

Please refer attached for my submission

I object to the proposed Kurri Kurri gas fired power plant on climate and economic grounds. The proposed plant will increase greenhouse gas emissions and be a giant waste of tax payer funds that are desperately needed for other purposes, such as building the transition infrastructure to the New England Renewable Energy Zone or building stand alone quarantine accommodation that can be transitioned to affordable or public housing.

I am concerned that government investment in this gas fired power plant will retard private investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand management and grid-balancing technology such as utility scale batteries. Already the International Energy Agency has highlighted a major shortfall in investment in clean energy, energy efficiency and other decarbonisation measures at a critical moment for climate. At best, if built, the Kurri Kurri gas fired power plant will be a stranded asset. At worst, it will lock NSW electricity users into expensive gas dependence. The price of gas has tripled over the last 5 years and this has caused immense financial pressure on Illawarra manufacturers. Peaking gas plants have a 25 minute start up time, so utility scale batteries or pumped solar can be dispatched more quickly to meet peak energy demand.

I am a resident of Wollongong. In 2017 I was elected to Wollongong City Council, and in late 2018 I became a parent. During the Black Summer of 2019-2020 Wollongong was very fortunate not to directly experience bush fires. But we were shrouded with smoke for months. I remember lying in bed with all the windows closed and towels under the doors, tasting the smoke as I breathed. I worried greatly for my infant’s developing lungs, and the damage the persistent smoke may cause. My family has a history of asthma, so to try to minimise exposure to the smoke haze we curtailed our usually active outdoor lifestyle.
It was during this smoky summer that Wollongong City Council declared a climate emergency. Wollongong is one of the 10724 cities that are part of the Global Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy. Under the Global Covenant Wollongong has set emissions reduction targets – net zero emissions for Council’s operations by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2050 city-wide.

There are over 140 council’s across Australia that have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their operations under the Cities Power Partnership (CPP). Wollongong City Council and Cessnock City Council in which Kurri Kurri is located, are both participants in the Cities Power Partnerships and have pledged 5 actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Both Council’s are installing renewable energy (solar PV) on council buildings. Cessnock is also reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their operations by ensuring council fleet purchases meet strict greenhouse gas emissions requirements and support the uptake of electric vehicles; actively participating in the development of a regional electric vehicle strategy; rolling out energy-efficient lighting across the city, and investigating the use of other council-managed land for renewable energy. Wollongong City Council is also undertaking is to implement landfill gas methane flaring or capture for electricity generation; encourage sustainable transport use such as public transport, walking and cycling through council transport planning and design; set city-level renewable energy or emissions reduction targets; and adopt best practice energy efficiency measures across council buildings, and support community facilities to adopt these measures. Indeed Wollongong’s 5 CPP pledges are only a small part of Wollongong City Council’s current and immediate $32 million climate mitigation plan 2020-22. All this good work in reducing emissions will be redundant if the new Kurri Kurri gas fired power plant is approved.

I object to the Hunter gas proposal because it will create significant greenhouse gas emissions. Stationary energy is the simplest sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from as we can replace fossil fuel consumption with renewable energy. Building new gas fired power stations makes a mockery of every other action being undertaken by residents, businesses, council’s and even the NSW government to reduce emissions. The elevated concentrations of greenhouse gases that are currently in the atmosphere mean that we should be doing everything to prevent emissions and draw down carbon. If this new Kurri Kurri gas fired power plant is approved it will undermine community moral for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to address the climate crisis.

It is established scientific fact that man-made climate change is and will continue to create an existential threat to human and other life on this planet. Humans must reduce CO2 outputs globally and Australia can and should contribute to that reduction. Consequently, I strongly object to this proposal on the following grounds:
1. A power station that burns fossil fuels (burning highly polluting diesel, before transitioning to gas) cannot contribute to reducing fossil fuel created CO2 emissions.
2. This power station was reviewed by the government's own scientific advisers and was not recommended. It is believed it may only operate for 1% of the time and will quickly become a stranded asset.
3. The $600m price tag was inexplicably left out of the recent federal budget.
On both environmental and financial counts, the Hunter Power Project is neither justified nor justifiable. It should not proceed.

My Wife Rosemary Hayes and I are grandparents of 10 g/kids under 11. We really fear what the world will look like, and how sick the Planet will be, when they turn 70 - which are our ages now.
Experts have told the Government , and some have made submissions directly on this project that:
1. it is unnecessary, - especially as it will only run for 2 % of the time
2. That it will be very heavy on Pollution, and the noise factor is too high for surrounding residential;
3. That private enterprise will not fund it, because the Economics of building it do not stack up AND that it will end up being a stranded asset.
4. That the federal government using our $660M for this project is a bad look , and that renewables are the answer - not Gas.
5. Manufacturers are queuing up to find manufacturing hubs that have abundant Renewable Energy. Australia has all the resources for this, and so $660m would be better off spent on Batteries hooked into wind and sun power. We know the technology works and can be constructed in a very short time frame.
For all these reasons we object.

See attached objection to the project.

The Liberal Federal government has a proud history of letting the market forces lead our economy. In this free market stranded assets are to be avoided. When private enterprise choose not to invest in a project like the Kurri Kurri Power Station the Liberal Federal government should see this commercial aversion as clear warning to step back from squandering taxpayers funds on such a project.
This land is valuable and the availability of water means it should be rehabilitated and repurposed. It is time to restore not risk further damage to ground water. The proposal states, 'excavations are unlikely to intercept the ground water table'. That is not reassurance enough to risk ever more scarce water reserves. The land is zoned for agriculture which is vital in this area where the population is increasing, so growing food makes commercial sense.
If energy production is as vital as Angus Taylor claims this site should be incorporated into the renewable energy market being driven by the State Liberal government. These likeminded governments must work together for our benefit and they save the remainder of the Hunter Valley from the ravages of fossil fuel extraction and processing.
Nobody, including the State Liberal government, is claiming this energy scheme will be cheap to build or maintain. Nobody is claiming diesel or coal seam gas are fuels of the future so where is the Liberal vision?

The project will adversely impact air quality and consequently the health and wellbeing of local families and the Hunter community. It is a project that stands to significantly benefit political donors - in this time of climate emergency such a plan could only be dreamed up by a government who is answering to vested interests in the polluting gas industry. We need to invest in renewables with battery/hydro back up. Gas does not stack up environmentally or economically.

I submit my personal objection to the Kurri Kurri gas plant. I feel the planned construction of this plant is further damaging Australia’s international standing due to continued climate change denialism.
Construction of this plant is opposed by a wide variety of industry and climate groups, including the Australian Energy Council, the peak body for gas and electricity companies in this country. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), does not support the government's position on gas. The Energy Security Board’s head, Kerry Schott, has also declined to support the plant. The government has stepped in to build this plant because the energy sector does not feel it is worth investing in. The announcement came a day after the International Energy Company stated "there is no need for investment in new fossil fuel supply in our net zero pathway".
There is already far more than 750MW in the construction pipeline already to replace the coal plants that will be decommissioned in the near future.
This plant will only create about 10 ongoing jobs after the construction phase. It will already be technologically obsolete by the time it is built.
Its purported effect on keeping electricity prices down is based on current gas prices but these are set to rise significantly in the near future due to the increased cost of CSG extraction compared to current techniques.
The proposed site currently has no gas pipeline connection and this is likely to be the case for at least a year after construction. This means that the plant will initially run on even more ecologically unfriendly diesel.
The plant is in direct contradiction to the NSW Net Zero Plan and would need over 8 million trees planted to offset its carbon emissions. It will also further reduce air quality in the Hunter, directly impacting the health of the community.

I object to this project because it will add to emissions causing climate change. We are already experiencing harm from climate change and the science explaining why is well established and available. As a mother of two young boys I am extremely concerned about climate change and I want to see climate action that will reduce our emissions and help support the recovery of our environment to ensure our future generations have a world worth living in.
There are three main reasons I object:
1. Incompatible with climate targets and environmental laws including EPBC Act. The project is incompatible with NSW Government’s legal and moral obligations and its ability to meet its own targets. The recent Federal Court case Sharma v Minister for Environment (May 29, 2021) established a new duty of care to protect young people from foreseeable future climate change harms and establishes a clear link between fossil fuel projects and those harms.
2. Makes no economic sense. I understand $600 million taxpayer money is required and will only sustain 10 jobs a year. A gas fired station is uneconomic and unnecessary – there are so many cleaner, more environmentally friendly alternatives including large battery stations.
3. Harms air quality and health of families in the Hunter region. The air quality is already bad and this proposal will make it significantly worse. Kurri Kurri operations will generate:
a. NOx: Aggravates asthma. Increases risk of respiratory infections and symptoms leading to hospitalisation and death. Contributes to the creation of smog.
b. CO: Can affect the heart and brain. Studies have shown that for every increase of 1 ppm of CO, heart failure hospitalisations or mortality rate increase by 3.25%
c. PM10 and PM2.5: Linked with reduced lung function, asthma and heart disease
d. SO2: Increases risk of respiratory problems, asthma, and symptoms like wheezing and dyspnea.

Almost two thirds of local residents in Kurri Kurri and Cessnock are families with children, who face greater risk from air pollution and as a mother this breaks my heart that our Government would consider this a viable project. I urge you, as a mother of two young children that cares about our planet and its future, to abandon this proposal and work towards more environmentally friendly, sustainable projects. NSW cannot meet their net zero target by 2050 if we continue to invest in oil, gas and coal projects. Our generation and our future generations are relying on us to make change and reduce our carbon emissions.

Please see the attached submission. I object to the project!

I object to the project because the same amount of capital should be invested in renewable energy generation technologies coupled with storage which can provide similar peak power capabilities like a dispatchable gas generator. In fact, renewable generators coupled with battery storage can bring various additional revenues through participation in different energy markets thanks of batteries high operational speed and efficiency (for example please see Tesla Hornsdale battery report by the Australian Energy Market Operator, AEMO). In an age where we need imminent action to move away from fossil fuels and support sustainable and green energy technologies, this gas power station plan sounds like a step backwards.

Best Regards
Dr. Baran Yildiz

1. It is inconceivable to me that the NSW Government would propose the construction and commissioning of a natural gas-fired power station with the attendant CO2 emissions on planet Earth in 2021.
2. Does the Berejiklian Government NOT understand that there is a global climate emergency and that it is responsible for protecting the people of NSW and the national estate?
3. Does the Berejiklian Government NOT understand that the International Energy Agency is telling us that we need to STOP fossil fuel use NOW - i.e., yesterday (not in 5 or 10 years time)?
4. If a gas-fired power station is desirable in this location why not be truly INNOVATIVE? The Berejiklian Government could commission the design and construction of a HYDROGEN-FIRED power station and support it with hydrogen gas production facilities in the Hunter Valley.
5. The Berejiklian Government in collaboration with the Labor Party and Greens recently announced a green energy future for NSW. This is groundbreaking, exciting, and strongly supported across the NSW community. It is also directed to solving the twin problems of generating energy and eliminating CO2 emissions. Why on planet Earth is the Berejiklian Government proposing to build this power station as part of its 'green energy' strategy?
6. Dear Gladys and members of your team, for the reasons stated above, I and many of my colleagues and friends DO NOT support this proposal.

Yours sincerely,
Arthur Conigrave

Please see attached submission

Refer attachment submission.

An irresponsible use of tax payers' money on a project that will have very little use or relevance.

My name is Vanessa Ryan-Rendall and I am a concerned parent about the government’s proposal for the Kurri Kurri gas project.
I object to this project because the NSW government has a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with a 35% reduction in emissions by 2030. If the Kurri-Kurri power station is to go ahead it will emit 500000 t of CO2e per year which will defeat our great efforts in the carbon sequestration projects as well as the gains in reducing emissions from the NSW food and garden waste recycling program.
The Hunter region is a beautiful area to visit for holidays and spend time with friends but knowing that the air quality around this area will be polluted with harmful gases such as Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide and Sulfur Dioxide I am hesitant to plan ahead.
The model for a gas led recovery including the construction of the Kurri Kurri power plant also doesn’t add up with only 10 ongoing jobs for this plant once construction has been completed. This does not support the local economy in any way but will rather put locals in financial stress knowing that they will have to leave the area without permanent employment.
I have two children and am a teacher of primary school students. Part of the curriculum is to teach them about environmental sustainability.
This project does not align with any of the key concepts I am teaching my own children and those that I educate.
The children of Australia need to see that the government does have sustainability and climate action at the forefront of every decision that they make.
With the recent court case in Sydney (May 27th, 2021) in regards to climate change and disregard by our current government surely you are now aware of the horrific impact inaction will have on the children.
The Kurri Kurri gas project is not a project that the government needs to be working on. It doesn’t stack up on many fronts and with new technology in renewables growing by the day, the fossil fuel industry must be left behind.

Kind Regards,

Vanessa Rendall