Donna Jones
Protest group to the Powerlink high powered transmission line route through the west of Gympie, the Kilkivan Action Group (KAG) have appealed to Federal Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien to call for a Senate Inquiry into the roll out of high powered transmission lines for renewable energy initiatives.
Spokeswoman for the group, Katy McCallum said she felt the MP is a valuable ally to their cause.
“It is comforting to know that Llew has our issue on his radar and is talking about it in Canberra,” she said.
“The more our issue and the greater issue of the ‘renewables’ is talked about in simple hallway conversations in places like Parliament House in Canberra and Brisbane, the more the absolute absurdity of what is being done to rural land and the mental and emotional state of the people who live here, will be placed in the faces of the decision makers,” she said.
Ms McCallum said she was impressed by Mr O’Brien’s opening remarks at the recent Property Rights Australia conference in Gympie.
“His speech was one displaying conviction and strength in his opinion on this topic and the protection of our rights as landholders,” she said.
“It was heart warming to hear him speak and provided me with even more strength to continue this fight.”
She said she had advised other members of KAG to write, email and call other political figures to join in the call for an inquiry into the issue.
Mr O’Brien responded via email and said previous attempts to open an inquiry had been thwarted, but encouraged members to renew the call.
“To date the Liberal National Party Coalition (LNP) has had three attempts to bring about a Senate Inquiry into transmission lines, and they’ve been blocked each time by Labor, The Greens, and Senator David Pocock (Independent Senator for ACT).”
He said the attempts had been made in late November last year and two as recently, as May of this year.
“I, together with my LNP colleagues, will continue to push for a Senate Inquiry and in the meantime you should direct your members to make submissions to Queensland ALP and Greens’ Senators, seeking their support for the Coalition’s Senate Inquiry into transmission lines,” Mr O’Brien advised.