Melbourne Energy and Resource Centre
Tim READ (Brunswick) (13:13): Today in Parliament the community group No Northern Incinerator Wollert presented their petition opposing the planned waste incinerator in Wollert. The petition was sponsored by the Labor member for Thomastown and garnered around 2500 signatures, including that of the Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, who incredibly was the minister who introduced this policy. It is fascinating to watch state and federal Labor MPs court publicity opposing incinerators in their own backyards while quietly backing the policy of their own government that allows them. I guess these MPs might be worried that their constituents might not vote for them again if they are seen to be pushing these unwanted monstrosities on their communities, and I can see why. The proposed incinerators around the state will produce dangerous pollutants and toxic ash at great risk to the health of local residents and workers, not to mention additional carbon emissions and an undermined recycling system. But in case no-one has said it lately, I would like to remind these MPs that they are members of a Labor government. They are in power. Some are ministers at a state or federal level. They have just signed a petition when they could have actually stopped this incinerator, but so far they are not showing any signs of doing that.