“Disingenuous actors:” Joyce, LNP called out for spread of wind and solar myths

The Liberal National Party’s lead role in whipping up renewable energy scare campaigns has been called out, again – this time by the Australian Conservation Foundation, including in the green group’s submission to the federal government in support of offshore wind.

“We are concerned about the mis-information campaigns that are spreading about renewable energy, including in the Illawarra region, supported by disingenuous actors,” says the ACF submission on the federal government proposal to establish a second offshore wind development zone off the coast of NSW.

In a post on LinkedIn, ACF CEO Kelly O’Shanassy goes into further detail about these “disingenuous actors,” who she says are trying to “scare communities” into thinking renewables are bad for nature.

“It is disingenuous for political leaders like Barnaby Joyce to state their opposition to renewables is based on a concern for nature, when their actions while in government did nothing to protect nature from climate change and habitat destruction,” the post says.

“The climate wars are not over, but they have evolved (which makes me extremely sad and very worried for our future),” O’Shanassy adds.

The latest round of LNP-backed scare-mongering has centred around offshore wind, which – having been given the political green light by the Morrison Coalition government back in 2021 – is currently making its way through a process of zone proposal, consultation and declaration under the federal Labor.

But as O’Shanassy notes, this conservative political modus operandi is not new.

“For years opponents of renewables have spread dis- and mis-information about the impact of windfarms on human health and wildlife, without scientific evidence to support their claims and despite significant evidence countering them.

“This has included debunked assertions about windfarms and infrasound and now includes unproven claims about offshore wind farms and their impact on marine species like whales.”

The latter claim – that offshore wind turbines could kill hundreds of whales a year – was quickly seized upon by federal opposition leader Peter Dutton and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, in a sudden attack of environmental conscience from the duo more commonly associated with climate denial and fossil fuel boosting.

It has since been revealed that the research supporting the claims comes from a scientific paper that “doesn’t exist,” according to the editor of the journal in which it is supposed to have been published.

Onshore wind, meanwhile, has never left the LNP’s sights. Andrew Forrest-owned renewables developer Squadron Energy was last week compelled to issue a statement addressing claims that its Queensland Clarke Creek project was “killing koalas.”

The koala killer claims have been given legs by Nationals MP Keith Pitt, who despite his role as former federal minister for resources, has done the conservative media rounds to share his shock over “disturbing new revelations” on plans for koala habitats affected by wind farm projects.

These plans – otherwise known as Biodiversity Management Plans – are required for all major projects, including coal mines. They set out the course of action that must be taken if wildlife is accidentally injured during a project’s development.

In the case of Clarke Creek, they are in place because 1,425 hectares of koala habitat will be cleared for the project, as noted in its EPBC Act referral.

This is considerably less than the 5,500 hectares of koala habitat state and federal governments last year approved Pembroke Resources to clear for the Olive Downs coal mine, south-east of Moranbah, which has plans to extract 15 million tonnes of coking coal a year, mostly for export to Asia.

Pitt did not object to the coal mine project, but rather – in his role as resources minister – loaned it $175 million  from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) to underwrite the mine’s first stage of development, including rail and transmission lines, water pipelines, access roads and a coal handling preparation plant.

Nevertheless, here’s what Pitt had to say about Clarke Creek to 2GB’s Ben Fordham – in comments that were repeated to Sky News and then republished unchallenged in Murdoch masthead The Australian:

“This is 1000s of acres of actual koala habitat around Clark Creek. And guess what’s in their environmental controls? Well, it’s how to euthanize those small animals with a sharp flow from a hammer to the skull. That’s the description and this was broken by Michelle Landry a few months ago. This is in the environmental plan on how to manage it.

“Just keep in mind this picture, you’re putting up wind towers, which are literally hundreds of meters high at 800 tons of concrete in the bottom and to get there you have to play out enormous access roads, transmission lines, all the things that go with it to every single one; time after time, after time. And guess what? Well, you’ll kill fauna, you’ll knock down trees.”

In its statement on Tuesday, Squadron Energy said it had “a zero-harm policy” for native animals and holds itself to the highest environmental standards.

“No koala has been injured or killed during construction of the Clarke Creek Wind Farm and clearing for stage one is 60 per cent complete,” the statement says.

“We have experienced wildlife officers on site who conduct assessments 24 hours before work starts and monitor and supervise work as it occurs, to prevent injury to fauna. They are qualified to respond to fauna encounters and relocate animals, if required.”

The statement goes on to note that the Clarke Creek Wind Farm (CCWF) Biodiversity Management Plan contains measures and guidance for handling any fauna that may be encountered during work on site, as is the standard under state planning laws.

“In the unlikely event of injury – any animals encountered must be assessed for injury to determine whether the animal requires further treatment and care by a vet or wildlife carer.

“All animal handling, if required, is conducted in accordance with the QLD Government Code of Practice – Care of Sick, Injured or Orphaned Protected Animals in Queensland.”

As O’Shanassy notes in her LinkedIn post, the National Party has also called to ban renewables until they are assessed under the national nature protection laws – the EPBC Act.

“Renewable projects are already assessed under these laws, yet when in government, the Coalition attempted to weaken these national laws,” she says.

“The Coalition’s supposed solution to climate change, nuclear power, is a disingenuous non-solution. Small modular nuclear reactors are not a commercial reality anywhere in the world and other forms of existing nuclear power are expensive, unsafe and too slow to make a difference to the urgent problem of climate change.”