Latrobe Valley residents divided over the Coalition’s nuclear plans

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Residents have rallied against a proposed nuclear plant in the Latrobe Valley east of Melbourne ahead of a public hearing into the coalition's energy policy.

Transcript

00:00BRAVING THE HEAT AND THE RAIN, MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE GATHERED IN TARALGAN TO PROTEST THE

00:06COALITION'S NUCLEAR PROPOSAL, MANY UNITED BY THEIR CONCERNS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

00:13THE FEDERAL PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE IS SEEKING FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED

00:17BY THE COALITION'S PROPOSAL.

00:20THE COALITION SAYS IT WILL BUILD SEVEN REACTORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IF IT WINS THE NEXT ELECTION,

00:26PUTTING ONE ON THE SITE OF THE LOYANGAY COAL-FIRED POWER STATION HERE IN THE LATROBE VALLEY EAST

00:31OF MELBOURNE.

00:33THE PROPOSAL GOES AGAINST THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S CURRENT RENEWABLE ENERGY STRATEGY, WHICH

00:37LEANS ON WIND AND SOLAR POWER.

00:40AT TODAY'S HEARING, COMMITTEE MEMBERS HEARD FROM LOCAL COUNCILLORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL

00:44GROUPS, INCLUDING THE GIFTSLAND CLIMATE CHANGE NETWORK.

00:48A very costly, very expensive technology is being proposed and it really just delays

00:55getting real action on climate.

00:58WHILE MOST SPEAKERS WERE OPPOSED TO THE IDEA OF HAVING A NUCLEAR REACTOR IN THEIR BACKYARD,

01:03OTHERS DISCUSSED THE POSSIBLE EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS THAT WOULD ARISE FROM THE COALITION'S PROPOSAL.

01:09THEY BELIEVE HAVING A REACTOR HERE IN THE LATROBE VALLEY COULD PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED

01:14BOOST TO A REGION THAT IS STRUGGLING THROUGH CHANGING INDUSTRY AND THE CLOSURE OF VICTORIA'S

01:20OLDEST COAL FIRE POWER STATIONS.

01:23THE COMMITTEE WILL TRAVEL TO MELBOURNE TOMORROW BEFORE HEADING TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA, WESTERN

01:28AUSTRALIA AND NEW SOUTH WALES.

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