MEDIA RELEASE: The Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective and communities across the Great Ocean Road and South West Victoria are shocked and angered by today’s decision to grant a gas production license to Beach Energy.  

MEDIA RELEASE - 4 March 2022

Environment group Friends of the Earth welcomes the Victorian government’s announcement of a target to build 9 Gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040.

The announcement is a game changer for state-led efforts to create jobs while tackling climate change.

“The Andrews government’s announcement positions Victoria as a national leader in offshore wind – a critical sector for the state’s energy transition.” said Pat Simons, Friends of the Earth’s renewable energy spokesperson.

With a strong gold price, applications for mining exploration continue to spread across regional Victoria. In Central Victoria, the North East and Gippsland, a growing number of local groups are forming to oppose this new wave of exploration.

Common concerns include impacts on local agriculture, tourism and other economic activity, noise and industrialisation of landscapes, loss of amenity, forest and biodiversity, impacts on property values, and fears of water and air pollution. Groups are concerned about the impacts of mining on both public and private land.

MEDIA RELEASE: 3 December 2021

Friends of the Earth response to the Australian Labor Party’s climate policy package

The Australian Labor Party has released its long-awaited policy to tackle the climate crisis as the Parliamentary sitting year ends.

The comprehensive package–which includes measures to accelerate the rollout of renewables and uptake of electric vehicles, among other technologies–states the Albanese opposition’s commitment to cut emissions by 43 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Friends of the Earth says whoever forms government after the 2022 election must grapple with the urgent need to align national climate targets with the best available science.

MEDIA RELEASE: 27 Oct 2021
Australia a step closer on offshore wind after lower house vote

Australia’s first offshore wind bill has today passed in the House of Representatives, a critical step forward in establishing a jobs-rich offshore wind industry in Australia.

The bill is a win for the hundreds of community members, unions and environment groups who have called for the federal government to end the delays to offshore wind.

Voting on the bill comes just days after the Morrison government finally announced a commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a move widely criticised for failing to meet expectations ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.

MEDIA RELEASE: 26 October 2021

Morrison govt fails ‘COP26 litmus test’ by refusing to increase Australia’s 2030 climate target

The Morrison government has announced its commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 just days before the critically important COP26 climate summit, where countries are expected to update their 2030 targets. 

Friends of the Earth has welcomed the NSW government's commitment to halve the state's emissions this decade. 

The Berejiklian government’s increased ambition on climate brings it inline with the United States and United Kingdom ahead of the critically important COP26 summit.

The Victorian government has today announced it will power the entire Victorian government with renewable energy, including every public school and hospital and Melbourne’s entire metropolitan train network.

Community-driven environment group Friends of the Earth says the announcement is good news for climate and jobs, and will help firm up the grid by adding new renewable energy supply to the mix.

The announcement comes alongside the release of national emissions data that finds Australia's emissions are dropping, but only as a result of state & territory initiatives and the impact of the pandemic.

The Latrobe Valley’s first wind project, the Delburn wind farm, has taken another step toward reality, with the public submissions period for the project now underway. 

Proposed in pine plantation in the Strzelecki Ranges south of Morwell, the 33 turbine project will overlook the former Hazelwood coal plant, and is expected to power 125,000 Victorian homes with clean renewable energy.

Environment group Friends of the Earth and local advocates welcome the announcement, saying this is a key moment for the community to shape the Latrobe Valley’s renewable energy future. 

“The Delburn Wind farm is another piece of the puzzle in the Latrobe Valley’s energy transition, offering a new source of jobs and a reliable source of energy generation for Victoria as the state acts on climate change” said Wendy Farmer, Yes2Renewables Gippsland Campaigner at Friends of the Earth.

Environment group Friends of the Earth welcomes the release of draft guidelines for environmental assessments of the landmark Star of the South project, and say the case for a national regulatory framework for offshore wind is now urgent. 

The draft scoping guidelines set out what the Star of the South is required to study, assess and report on as part of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) at the federal level and an Environment Effects Statement (EES) at the state level.

As Australia’s first offshore wind farm, it’s essential that planning for the Star of the South is robust and transparent, with strong protections for sensitive ecosystems built in from the start.