Environmental Defenders Office strongly supports legislative reform of the PGE Act to enhance its capacity to protect the environment and ensure that resource developments are not carried out at the expense of ecological and human health, biodiversity and a safe climate.
South Australia has the potential to be a leader in the necessary rapid and just transition to renewable energy, with its existing capacity already meeting demand well above the rest of the nation. The EDO urges the South Australian government to continue those efforts and not be distracted by carbon capture and storage (CCS), which is unproven, inefficient and prohibitively expensive. Together with blue and green hydrogen, CCS will not deliver the kinds of emissions reductions required in the timescales required.
This submission acknowledges and supports the proposed amendments that reflect our earlier recommendations (EDO submission 24 March 2021), and provides feedback and recommendations in relation to:
• Overarching focus of the reforms to facilitate the rapid transition from fossil fuel activities
to renewable energy
• Emissions targets and full emissions disclosure statements
• Objects, purpose and obligations
• Community participation and access to information, especially for First Nations
• Mandatory considerations for approval decisions
• Access to justice: third-party review and enforcement rights
• Rehabilitation outcomes
• Measurable, enforceable standards and criteria required
