Recently I attended Independent MP Craig Garland’s event in Burnie, the Northwest Energy Impacts Public Meeting.

It was clear to me the community feels completely excluded from the current renewables decision making process and their distressed voices are falling on deaf ears echoing into the ether.

I heard things like what is the strategy and long-term plan? What is going to happen to our farmland and endangered animals? Why have they completely disregarded our indigenous community? What will be the long-term health effects.

There was a general sentiment of community anxiousness because our governments are willing to destroy our unique environment to save our climate. We cannot destroy one thing at the expense of the other.

I watched approximately 200 frustrated members of the community applaud the responses of the subject matter experts in the Q&A section. It was clear to me their responses indicated the people of Braddon won’t benefit from the pending onshore and offshore windfarms. It will cost them in their pay cheque. New transmission lines, Marinus Link and wind turbines will be charged to the Tasmanian taxpayer at the end of the day while we are already 100% renewable.

We have known for a long time the two major parties are more concerned about keeping their donors happy, the corporate interests’ debt funding the proposed wind turbine projects are more concerned about maximising profit for their shareholders and the community and environment are a distant secondary concern which will pay for the long-term effects. This meeting crystalised this for me.

Yet, I can see the community wants to be part of a renewable solution, but it’s a solution that differs from that of the state and federal governments. The community is supportive of renewables but in different locations that meet their concerns. There is great support for next generation onshore and offshore hydro technologies which is proven and cost-effective technology. There is support for community batteries and battery banks like that in South Australia. There is community support to blanket covering commercial and industrial roof tops in solar panels. There is community support to shift heavy industrial industries to community developed renewables which create local jobs and local opportunity.

I propose the people of Braddon develops its own 50-year renewable energy strategic and operational plans. We have many talented and qualified people in our community to make this happen. This plan could be funded from a taxpayer owned national infrastructure bank funded from royalties and taxes enforced on corporations that have mistreated us for decades. It could also be partly funded from a large community projects fund. Our community has the expertise to construct what it needs to make this happen in consultation with experts that deliver community renewable projects.

The only way this will happen is for the two major parties to be excluded from the process. The community simply cannot risk entertaining their compromised habits if they want their own renewables plan. To do this, they need to go independent and if we have enough independent representatives in all levels of government that act with integrity, then we can make the changes our community wants.