What energy future do you want?

Ted Baillieu’s 2011 planning laws ban wind farms from large parts of Victoria, and just one objector can stop any wind turbine within 2km.

Wind farms create income for farmers and communities. They do not have pollution or health hazards like coal. They share benefits across large sections of the state. We could have new jobs in manufacturing, construction and maintenance here in Victoria if wind projects were allowed to go ahead.

Our research shows that these restrictive laws have already cost Victoria around $887 million in lost or stalled investment, 650 direct jobs lost or stalled in construction, 54 on-going jobs in management of wind farms, and 1408 indirectly associated (flow-on) jobs.

And in September 2012, the government slashed the feed in tariff which is paid to people with solar panels on their homes.

Meanwhile, coal and coal-seam gas exploration is allowed across our state and a coal mine can be built within 100 metres of a house.

While a community backlash in Gippsland has forced the government to adopt a moratorium on hydraulic fracking operations, exploration for coal, coal seam and tight gas can continue. Exploration permits cover a large percentage of our best food producing land.

Victoria currently produces around 25% of Australia’s food, even though we have less than 4% of the arable land (Source). There is strong resistance to the development of new fossil fuel projects in rural Victoria.

It is clear where the government of Ted Baillieu wants to steer Victoria, actively promoting coal production for local use and even supporting a new coal export industry, while placing impediments in the way of clean energy sources like wind.

Victorians must decide what type of energy future we want:

·    more dirty, coal fired power and the threat of coal exports, or
·    more renewables like wind, solar, wave energy and geothermal

Ted Baillieu has shown he stands with the coal industry.

You can help change that. Speak up for clean energy and local jobs.

Please check here for details on what you can do.