Latham 'incorrect' to claim independents want NSW to dump coal: Wagga MP McGirr

One Nation MLC Mark Latham asked in Parliament late last month if the Finance and Small Business Minister, Damien Tudehope, had seen a letter, co-written by Dr McGirr, "arguing for the closure of coal in the NSW post-carbon economy, supposedly to save the planet?"

Dr McGirr told The Daily Advertiser that it was "incorrect" for Mr Latham to characterise his letter, written with his fellow lower-house independent MPs, as calling for the premature closure of the coal industry.

"The letter recognises that demand for coal is going to dramatically decline in the next two decades," Dr McGirr said.

"There's a combination of factors for that, but clearly the search for sustainable, renewable and affordable power is part of that, the Paris Agreement is part of that.

"We are going to get a reduction in demand for coal. What out letter was saying is 'OK, if that's coming, how do we get ready for it? How do we prepare communities for to make sure people keep their jobs and communities stay together."

In reference to the independents' letter, Mr Latham asked Mr Tudehope what action he was taking against "economic decline and welfare dependency" in coal producing and exporting regions.

Mr Tudehope replied in Parliament that "one of the great industries in NSW that supports jobs is the coal industry".

"For some in this place who live in the inner-metropolitan areas it may be easy to dismiss the coal industry as a thing of the past; something that should no longer be tolerated," he said.

READ MORE:

On Tuesday, Dr McGirr said the number of solar farms gaining approval and finance for construction around Wagga, and the Snowy Hydro 2.0 Scheme, were evidence that a shift in power generation was already under way.

"Wagga will play a big role in a post-carbon economy ... currently in this state energy is being produced on the coast and it is transmitted inland," he said.

"In the next two decades, I think we are going to see a situation where power is going to be generated west of the divide and we'll be transmitting to the coast; it will be a kind of reverse flow.

"They key component of getting that right is the grid, so the power generated and fed up into the grid from a variety of locations, including households but also bigger projects inland where it isn't suitable for agriculture."

TransGrid has proposed to build a $1 billion power transmission line between South Australia, Wagga and the NSW to Victoria power link in nearby alpine regions.

Dr McGirr reiterated his support for the project, saying it was "critical" to upgrade the grid to handle new trends in power generation and storage.