LOCAL environmentalists have urged the City of Greater Geelong (COGG) to rally against a proposed floating gas terminal for Corio Bay amid claims the project would handbrake the council\u2019s goal of community-wide net-zero emissions by 2035.<\/p>\n
COGG has called for a formal stakeholder engagement process for community members in its submission to an ongoing environmental assessment on the plans but stopped short of taking a stance for or against the proposal, to the disappointment of local green groups.<\/p>\n
Geelong Renewables Not Gas (GRNG), a Australian Conservation Foundation Geelong campaign, commissioned a report from local government environment consultants Ironbark Sustainability about predicted impacts from Viva Energy\u2019s planned Floating Gas Terminal.<\/p>\n
The Ironbark report estimates that Viva would account for 52 per cent of Geelong\u2019s carbon emissions by 2040, up from its current output of 35 per cent.<\/p>\n
GRNG spokesperson Anthony Gleeson said COGG deserved praise for its \u201cambitious\u201d 2035 target but doubted Geelong could reach its lofty aims if large-scale fossil fuel projects such as the terminal went ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought that Geelong council would take a much stronger position on that, because they cannot possibly reach that target if we\u2019ve got a fossil fuel project so close to where people are living,\u201d Mr Gleeson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe atmosphere is super saturated with carbon as it is, and we can ill afford to have something like that in a city that\u2019s saying it\u2019s targeting net-zero emissions by 2035.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s certainly some disappointment with not backing that target up with a statement about the floating gas hub.\u201d<\/p>\n
In its submission on Viva\u2019s Environmental Effects Statement (EES) for the project, the city called for community input during a state government inquiry into the impact reports later this year.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026the city is keen for as many community members as possible to have their say on the proposal,\u201d deputy mayor Trent Sullivan\u2019s letter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe therefore suggest that a proactive grassroots stakeholder engagement process be undertaken by the state with the feedback to become a key pillar for this evaluation process.\u201d<\/p>\n
The council raised concerns it received following a review of the EES from its sustainability advisory committee, regarding safety, amenity impacts including for Geelong Waterfront, greenhouse gas emissions and environment impacts.<\/p>\n
COGG\u2019s submission acknowledged that its net-zero target required \u201cthe rapid phasing out of fossil fuels\u201d but did not indicate how the Viva project would effect its targets.<\/p>\n
The scale of the terminal\u2019s carbon impact has been a contentious topic during the EES exhibition.<\/p>\n
Viva has claimed a minimum output of 47,906 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO2-e) each year, but its highest projections when including third-party emissions from the terminal\u2019s operations indicate 553,400 t COS-e of emissions \u2013 more than 12 times higher.<\/p>\n
The EES is open for public comment until April 11.<\/p>\n
GNRG is hosting public workshops in the coming days to help residents comprehend the more than 13,000-page document and make a submission.<\/p>\n
Viva\u2019s EES will also go under the microscope of a state government-appointed Inquiry and Advisory Committee later this year as part of an approvals process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LOCAL environmentalists have urged the City of Greater Geelong (COGG) to rally against a proposed floating gas terminal for Corio Bay amid claims the project would handbrake the council\u2019s goal of community-wide net-zero emissions by 2035. COGG has called for a formal stakeholder engagement process for community members in its submission to an ongoing environmental […]<\/p>\n