SYDNEY, July 29 2020 – Despite a public relations exercise, the controversial National Covid-19 Commission (NCC) is still pushing its fossil fuel agenda, calling for a massive expansion of the gas industry with taxpayers slugged with the bill despite the fact the industry is already critically oversupplied.A leaked presentation of the NCC’s report into manufacturing reportedly outlines plans for a massive expansion of the gas industry, including a recommendation that the controversial Narrabri Gas Project that was advocated by former commissioner and Energy Australia CEO Catherine Tanna be backed up despite overwhelming opposition, and significant concerns over the project’s viability.
“Whichever way you look at it, gas is an industry in decline, with billions of dollars in write-downs around the world due to the renewable energy boom. Wasting public money on the polluting industries of the past rather than the modern renewable technology of today is an abuse of public trust,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Campaigner, Jonathan Moylan said.
“It seems that Catherine Tanna’s departure from the NCC yesterday was nothing more than a song and dance routine, since it’s been over a month since this report suggested propping up a project her company would benefit from. A destructive project that’s already been written off in an environment where there’s a gas oversupply and the industry is running out of refrigerated ships to store a critical surplus of unwanted gas.
“Despite being the world’s largest LNG exporter, the gas industry is still one of the smallest sectors by employment because gas is a capital-intensive industry that invests far more in infrastructure and machines than people, and can’t play a central role in a economic recovery from Covid-19.”
Contact
Greenpeace Australia Pacific Communications Campaigner, Martin Zavan
0424 295 422