A Coffs Harbour solar and climate action group will send a message to Prime Minister Scott Morrison this weekend, which they say is payback for a disparaging comment he made about renewable energy last year.
Morrison’s past attitude to renewables has included bringing a lump of coal into Parliament and likening South Australia’s Big Battery to tourist attractions like Coffs Harbour’s famous Big Banana.
The Coffs Coast Climate Action Group (CCCAG) will hold a ‘Rise for Climate’ event this Saturday, reports the Coffs Coast Advocate.
CCCAG member Marnie Cotton said Morrison’s comments “clearly place him with the dinosaurs”. She added he has shown little understanding about modern energy systems and regional economies.
“We expect more from our PM,” she said.
Morrison’s mocks renewable energy in Parliament
Last year, when Treasurer, Morrison made waves when he brought a lump of coal into parliament. He presented it as a symbol of the Coalition’s plan on energy policy. Morrison passed the lump around the chamber, telling members not to be afraid of it.
This act was labelled a stunt in the media because it contributed nothing towards the serious question of energy policy.
Morrison also took aim last year at Elon Musk’s battery installation in South Australia, saying it lacked capacity to solve any energy problems. That was before comparing it to the Big Banana and the Big Prawn, two tourist attractions on the NSW coast.
At the time he described the big battery as a “bright shiny thing” and a distraction for the SA Premier.
Coffs Harbour solar rooftops common
In the meantime, whatever the PM says, solar power appears to be growing in popularity in the Coffs Harbour region.
According to the PV Institute, 23.5 per cent of dwellings in the Coffs Harbour local government area have rooftop solar installations. This equates to 6,677 buildings and 23,011 kW of power.
This indicates many residents in the region consider renewables important for reducing power prices and emissions.
The CCCAG is also against new coal-fired plants and will be celebrating solar power at the event this weekend. Cotton said the group expects “all our politicians to work for our communities, not coal billionaires”.
Certainly many voters in Australia expect our politicians to act on climate and energy policy — something they have now been flip-flopping on for a decade.
