Clarence candidate Dr Clancy talks mining and waste incinerators

As a founding member of the CCA Greens candidate Dr Greg Clancy does not support mining in the Clarence catchment. Here he shares his position on the Casino Waste incinerator and the action needed to address the climate emergency. 

To see his response on STRA and floodplain development click here.

Do you support the Clarence Catchment Alliance (CCA) anti-mining pledge? The pledge supports the CCA position against mining in the Clarence catchment. 

Yes

What action will you take if elected to achieve a ban on mineral mining in the Clarence catchment?

I will lobby the government to add the Clarence Catchment to the schedule of areas within which mining is prohibited. As a foundation member of the Clarence Catchment Alliance, I support all of the efforts of the CCA.

Do you or your party support the NSW Government Policy and Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Amendment (Thermal Energy from Waste) Regulation 2022 which allows a thermal waste incinerator to be built in the Richmond Valley Job Precinct Casino? Yes/No

No

If yes, what is your personal or party policy on thermal waste incineration?

If no, what is your personal or party policy on waste management?

My personal view is that every effort needs to be made to introduce the circular economy where nothing, or very little, is placed in landfill. In the interim landfill is preferable to incineration.

The Greens have strongly opposed thermal waste incineration in the Sydney area and in the regions where it is proposed.

What is your position and policies on the climate emergency and what they are planning to do for mitigation and adaptation in our region?

My position is to take all action to reduce the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by supporting electric vehicles, protection of forests, small solar farms and villages with small solar plants. Mitigation of the effects of the extreme natural disasters such as fire, flood, and severe storms needs to be science based and practical, not pie in sky like large dry dams in the catchment. I would lobby for the ceasing of building on floodplains and improving emergency service responses to fires and floods.

The Greens NSW will work towards:

• NSW contributing its fair share of resources and actions to limit the global average temperature increase to well below 2°C and as close as possible to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, in keeping with Australia’s ratification of the Paris Agreement.
• Incentives for individuals and industries (including agriculture) provided by Government to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, e.g. planting trees, kelp forests, investigating biomass storage and other methods to return to 350 ppm CO2.
• Building support in the community for urgent action to achieve a safe climate.
• Developing a strategy to effect an equitable transition to a sustainable net zero economy through a range of measures including market and regulatory, including a price on emissions with the proceeds used to compensate low income individuals.
• Supporting the transition strategy with a well-funded, comprehensive, integrated and research-based emissions reduction plan with appropriate targets and reporting for all sectors with significant greenhouse emissions.
• Achieving 100 per cent clean renewable electrical energy in NSW by 2030, or earlier.
• Achieving sufficient renewable electricity capacity to power all heating and land transport, including passenger and freight rail, either by direct use of renewable electricity or, in future, by indirect use, e.g. via electrolysis to produce ‘green’ hydrogen and ammonia.
• Implementing emissions reductions and local adaptation strategies in conjunction with other governments, national, state and local, and in consultation with local communities.
• Implementing emissions reduction strategies as outlined in the relevant Greens NSW policies of Energy, Transport, Planning and Infrastructure, Coal and Coal Seam Gas, Forestry (in development), Coastal Management and Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Land Use and Waste (see links at the end of this document).
• Introducing a ban on donations to political parties or candidates from any person or corporation with a commercial interest in any aspect of the fossil fuel industry including mining, transport, electricity generation or distribution.
• Ensuring that impacts and opportunities are spread as fairly as possible across society with assistance to those at the leading edge of change and those who are most disadvantaged.
• Funding research into the local impacts of climate change and methods to minimise their impact.
• Proactive assistance to other nations, particularly in our region, to create safe climate economies, and adapt to climate change through appropriate technology transfer and other forms of assistance, including resettling and rehousing displaced populations where required.

Also, do they have policies and strategies to transition to regenerative agriculture models to ensure young farmers can establish themselves on the land and implement farming techniques that are ecologically beneficial?

Agricultural practices can have a degrading effect on the natural environment including soils.  Regenerative agriculture should be supported to allow for agriculture to work with nature not against it.

The Greens will:

• Restore the Carbon Farming Futures grants, providing $25m a year to support carbon farming
• Create a $250m Green Agriculture Australia research centre, developing and deploying green alternatives for farmers
• Reform organic labelling and support organic certification, protecting producers and consumers
• Build an Australian hemp, cannabis and seaweed farming industry, creating thousands of sustainable jobs