POLES APART

A minor furor has just erupted causing North Coast politicians to come out in support of the beleaguered timber industry yet again.

This time it’s over the decision by Essential Energy to replace timber power poles with more fire-resistant synthetic poles.

While the debate rages over the economic loss incurred by the industry versus the never-ending cost of replacing rotting, termite-ridden, and burned-out wooden poles, incurred by consumers, the common-sense solution of putting the lines underground, receives little support.

 The official response to calls for power lines to be relocated underground is that it’s too costly. Energy providers argue that overhead lines are easier to repair, resulting in faster power restoration after outages. This argument appeases consumers but ignores the fact that underground cables are far less prone to the most common cause of disruptions, extreme weather events. It also ignores the fact that the frequency and intensity of those extreme events, including bushfires, are increasing and will continue to increase with climate change.

One factor supporting the underground option is the routine maintenance cost of overhead lines, a figure I couldn't find. However, Essential Energy’s 2022-23 annual report revealed some eye-opening facts. They conducted over 297,000 pole inspections, 67,830 drone flights along 32,000km of powerline, with over 830,000 inspection photos taken, and presumably analysed.

As well, vegetation was removed from almost 187,000 spans of powerline, removing more than 20,000 hazard trees, with a further 9,991 spans inspected for bushfire-related vegetation maintenance.

During that same financial year 7,638 poles were replaced along with more than 15,000 wooden cross-arms.

The cost is clearly phenomenal, but despite all of that, Essential still reported 24,657 unplanned power outages during that period, placing considerable doubt over the cost-effectiveness of that maintenance program.

More than half of the ACT’s power network is underground, much of it planned when the city was founded a hundred years ago. So clearly it can be done.

 No one seriously advocates for the immediate placement of all power underground, but surely it should be considered in the planning for all new developments.

 

-        John Edwards

  Published in the "Voices for the Earth" column in The Clarence Valley Independent , July 3, 2024.

REASONS FOR HOPE

Many people feel  overwhelmed by what is happening on a variety of fronts – in relation to the crises in the natural world, to escalating climate change, to horrific wars, to violence in our communities, to economic hardship and to political stupidity and incompetence.  To some people the possibility that things could or will improve does not seem likely.

Dr Jane Goodall is not one of these people.  She is a world-renowned primatologist, ethologist and environmental advocate who has just conducted a speaking tour on reasons for hope in Australia and New Zealand.

Over many years Dr Goodall, who conducted groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in the Gombi forests in Tanzania, has worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare issues.  In order to encourage others to be involved in seeking positive change, she founded important international organisations – the Jane Goodall Institute (1977) and her youth program Roots and Shoots (1991).

Speaking before her recent tour she said, “Today’s young people – they’re so excited and empowered.  We’re listening to their voices.  That gives us reasons for hope.  I love Australia and New Zealand with its rich biodiversity and proud First Nations heritage.  It will be tremendous to catch up with old friends and meet some of the young leaders making a difference through Roots & Shoots.”

Major issues that she believes need addressing are loss of biodiversity and climate change. Another is the need to raise people out of poverty in countries where abject poverty is driving habitat clearing for reasons like the sale of timber or the need for cropland.

A major reason for hope, she says, is that nature is very resilient and, if it is allowed to recover, or is helped to do so, it will recover over time.  She has seen that in the area surrounding the Gombi Stream National Park in Tanzania.  Her other major hope lies in young people who, when committed to change, work enthusiastically towards it and also have the very important power of influencing their parents and others in the community.

Jane Goodall’s positive message is inspiring.

-        Leonie Blain

 Published in the "Voices for the Earth" column in The Clarence Valley Independent , June 12, 2024.

 

OPEN LETTER TO PREMIER MINNS ON KOALAS & LOGGING

The situation of koalas in NSW has been of major concern for years with fears the species could be extinct in the state by 2050.  This fear is not surprising as the state koala population is declining rapidly. It fell by a third between 1990 and 2010.

The main threats to koala survival have been habitat loss and disease. The devastating fires of 2019-20 made things worse.

The election in March 2023 brought the expectation that koalas would at last be given a better chance of avoiding extinction – at least in the area between Kempsey and Grafton - because of the new Government’s promise to establish the Great Koala National Park (GKNP). 

The GKNP proposal seeks the addition of 175,000 ha of publicly-owned forests to existing protected areas to form a 315,000 ha reserve over five local government areas – Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca Valley and Kempsey.

Progress towards fulfilling the election promise in the year since the election has been minimal.  In fact, koalas and their habitat have suffered because the NSW Government is allowing Forest Corp to continue logging in the areas which contain prime koala habitat.  Just how much of this important habitat will remain is a matter of great concern. And this is a major reason for the rise in activity by forest campaigners who are appalled at what is happening.

Concern about koalas and the accelerating biodiversity crisis has been growing in the general community as well as with scientists and conservationists.  The Australia Institute recently published an open letter to the Minns Government calling for the end of logging in public native forests and koala habitat.  It was signed by more than 100 political leaders, academics, environment and climate experts. 

It called for action on creating the GKNP, ending logging in public native forests, and abandoning support for and plans to develop carbon credits associated with NSW forests. Attached was a petition asking supporters to add their names to the open letter.

It concluded with “No delay. No excuses. No carbon offsets.”

-        Leonie Blain

 Published in the "Voices for the Earth" column in The Clarence Valley Independent , April 24, 2024.