NSW power stations are both big employers and big polluters.
The impending closure of Liddell next year in 2023, and Eraring in just three years in 2025 is cause for renewed discussion and planning at a community level, to ensure the needs of people and the environment are heard and met by both power station operators and the NSW Government.
The environment centre will host two public meetings in September 2022 focusing on the opportunities for environmental decontamination, local jobs and investment which could be underpinned by a proposal for a new coal-ash waste recycling industry.
Environment
The health of Australia’s largest, highly abundant estuary Lake Macquarie and Lake Liddell, once a site for community recreation with significant habitat value for over one-hundred species of native birds hangs in the balance, with the current rehabilitation plans for power station sites essentially calling for nothing more than a quick and cheap ‘cap and cover’. This approach will risk on-going contamination and further bioaccumulation of harmful pollutants, exposing the ecological assets which enrich us all to further degradation and jeopardizing our own, and future generations recreational enjoyment of, and cultural connection to our natural heritage.
Jobs
Thermal electricity production has provided enormous prosperity and opportunity to skilled workers and their families, who have in turn provided NSW households, business and industry with an essential resource over generations. With the transformation of the energy sector well underway across the country and power station closures in the calendar for NSW, there is uncertainty around future employment options. The existing strengths, skills and knowledge of the power station workforce must be re-deployed into new, innovative and local industry to preserve the regions prosperity and grow its regional economic autonomy.
Coal-ash waste recycling
The establishment of coal-ash recycling plants at NSW power stations to safely reuse an estimated 160 million tonnes of waste currently dumped in Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley, has potential to satisfy both environmental and workforce concerns arising from power station closures. Ash-waste recycling using locally-made equipment, utilizing existing infrastructure and skill-bases will provide local employment and economic stimulus to the Hunter and Lake Macquarie, putting the region on a pathway to comprehensive decontamination. Processes to extract metallurgical-grade alumina, other critical minerals and additives such as alum with wide applications in both mining and municipal water authorities, have potential to reinforce the region’s economic strengths and supply-chain synergies.
REPORT RELEASE: JOBS & SKILLS ANALYSIS FOR PROPOSED ASH REUSE SECTOR IN THE HUNTER & LAKE MACQUARIE
Research completed by Dr. Ingrid Schraner into the transferability of skills within the current thermal electricity workforce in the Hunter, into a proposed coal-ash recycling sector to safely reuse 1 million tonnes per year of legacy waste will be released at the public meetings. Read the full report here.
The HCEC extends an invitation to all residents of the Lake Macquarie, Central Coast and Hunter regions to hear from speakers and join the discussion
Lake Macquarie
Thursday September 8th, 6-8pm Doyalson RSL Hunter
Hunter
Thursday September 15th, 6-8pm
East Maitland Bowling Club