Member for Geraldton Kirrilee Warr MLA says the money spent promoting WA’s renewable transition does nothing for the future of Geraldton, saying the Cook Labor Government aimed to prioritise advertising instead of securing Geraldton’s transmission going forward.
The State Government’s ‘State of Energy’ campaign, costing $30 million, aims to highlight WA’s renewable transition, but failed to highlight any transition to Geraldton.
“This Cook Labor Government takes any and every opportunity to spruik its work, but fails when it comes to explaining where transmission upgrades for Geraldton are at,” Ms Warr said.
“We know we would need significantly more than $30 million to upgrade the transmission here, but is advertising how transition is occurring without having the plan in place to Geraldton an appropriate use of taxpayer funds?”
Ms Warr said the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area had been touted for years as a renewable hub, but remained without activation.
“The Mid West has some of WA’s best renewable resources in wind and solar, yet all that is there is an access road to a paddock,” she said.
“If this Government was serious about its renewable energy strategy, a plan would be in place to activate Oakajee, which would no doubt require the upgrade in transmission to Geraldton.”
Ms Warr is calling for the State Government to commit to a 330kV transmission upgrade to Geraldton, as well as having a reliable back up source to ensure the region does not lose power in significant weather events.
“Business leaders have been calling for these transmission upgrades for years, but the Cook Labor Government continues to sit on its hand,” she said.
“We can’t transition without transmission.
“Geraldton needs these upgrades to ensure the region can continue to grow and thrive into the future.”
A petition urging the State Government to commit to delivering upgraded transmission to Geraldton, along with a timeline for delivery is active on the WA Parliament website.
The petition closes on Wednesday, September 30.