Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Lara waste-to-energy facility

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (13:39): I was interested to read a recent social media post from the member for Lara. On a video with Deputy Prime Minister and local MP Richard Marles, she wrote:

For months now, local residents have been campaigning against a proposed waste to energy facility in Lara. We’re proud to back the community in this fight … we do not support a big incinerator in Lara. The proposed site is just too close to too many homes – with the nearest home only 350 meters away. Lara is a beautiful part of the world, and it is not the right place for a project like this.

This is remarkable: two local Labor MPs listening to their community and opposing a project. Why then do they and their colleagues ignore the big battery and solar projects surrounding Little River? As the member for Lara said:

Lara is a beautiful part of the world, and it is not the right place for a project like this.

But what about transmission lines? Why does the community’s view matter on this project but not on renewables? Why does the environment matter on this matter but not on transmission lines? Some of those will be equally close. Is this hypocrisy simply because Labor only care when they are getting outflanked by the Greens?