Ambitious plan for an emission-free Sydney

BY MICK ROBERTS

Greens councillor Chris Harris has high hopes if elected to the city’s top job.

Number one on the mayoral candidate’s ‘to-do-list’ is an ambitious plan to make the city 100 per cent emission free. It’s a big ask, but Cr Harris said with the support of other Sydney councils, it’s not impossible.
Statewide, the Greens hope to improve on their 58 councillors, with up to 100 representing local government areas come September 13.
‘I want to work with other Greens councillors in NSW on driving a solar thermal power station to supply the needs of participating councils with 100 per cent emission-free energy,’ Cr Harris told The City News.
‘We would do this in conjunction with an infrastructure developer or energy supplier and the project would be underwritten with guarantees from those councils for long term contracts to purchase electricity to power offices, council owned buildings, community centres, depots and street lighting, with 100 per cent emission-free clean energy.’
Cr Harris said his solar thermal power station plan would improve on City of Sydney council’s present plan to offset emissions by buying existing green power.
‘The Greens plan would drive the creation of new emission free energy generation capacity,’ he said.
‘It also contrasts favourably with the Clover Moore party policy for green generators which are powered by gas – a fossil fuel that will dramatically increase in price in future years.’
The Greens say the solar thermal power station technology is commercially proven and is already in use in the United States. Council would have no outlay unless the city wanted to take equity in the project.
‘We simply use our purchasing power which is predictable and ongoing,’ Cr Harris said.
‘The policy will deliver good savings to council because solar thermal power is expected to be less than 10 cents per kilowatt an hour, once more capacity is installed and economies of scale kick in – especially in an emissions trading scenario that is being promoted by the Federal Government.’
Three or four Sydney councils banding together would justify a recycling plant similar to one already operating at Eastern Creek, according to the Greens.
‘The business would also be profitable if owned conjointly by the councils because the recycled materials are readily saleable and will be so in the future,’ he said.
‘It would be just a matter of identifying a suitable industrial site.’
Also high on the Greens’ agenda is providing additional youth facilities in the city.
The Greens want three skate parks built during the next term of council.
‘We have not built even one so far, just renovated the old one at Waterloo,’ Cr Harris said.
Council has undertaken a $32,000 study identifying several sites for skate parks.
Cr Harris said the first should be built in Prince Alfred Park at a cost of around $500,000. The Greens will also be pushing for a BMX track for the city and netball courts.
Cr Harris said he was hopeful of another Greens councillor joining him on council after the election.
Following Cr Harris on the Greens ticket is Irene Doutney. On the remainder of the ticket, in order, are De Brierly Newton of Newtown, Mathew Drake-Brockman of Chippendale, student Samia Hossein, the Greens national delegate Tony Hickey, Caroline Alcorso, Dom Rowe and James Diack.