Tanya Plibersek greenlights Mike Cannon-Brookes backed Sun Cable project after red lighting Regis gold mine
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is giving out red or green lights like candy.
The mining industry has been left reeling over the viability of the industry with Ms Plibersek as Environment Minister after a $1b gold mine was blocked on Friday.
On Wednesday, Ms Plibersek approved Australia’s biggest solar farm backed by Atlassian co-founder and co-CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The farm has the potential to power three million homes, many of which are expected to be in another country.
The Sun Cable Australia-Asia Power Link is expected to generate 4GW of renewable energy through a solar farm in the Northern Territory.
The 12,000-hectare solar farm is bound for a former pastoral station near Tennant Creek.
The approval on Wednesday includes an 800 km transmission line to Darwin and an underwater cable to the end of Australian waters.
The project will boost the NT economy as well as elevate Australia’s renewable status globally, Ms Plibersek said.
“It will be the largest solar precinct in the world – and heralds Australia as the world leader in green energy.
“Australians have a choice between a renewable energy transition that’s already underway creating jobs and driving down prices; or paying for an expensive nuclear fantasy that may never happen.”
She said the project would deliver almost six times more power than a 700MW large nuclear reactor could deliver, criticising what she called “an expensive nuclear fantasy” being pitched by the opposition.
“We have no idea what the equivalent to (Opposition leader) Peter Dutton’s anti-renewables nuclear plan might be because there are no details other than it being too slow and too expensive,” she said.
The Sun Cable project had early support from Andrew Forest and Mr Cannon-Brookes, with the latter winning the battle to acquire it after it was placed in voluntary administration in January 2023.
The pair had disagreed over whether the project’s planned transmission of electricity to Singapore was viable, with Cannon-Brookes confident it was.
The green light comes after Ms Plibersek gave the red light to the McPhillamys gold mine.
The project has been stopped from going ahead, project proponent Regis Resources says, proving a statement by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to be wrong.
Subiaco-based Regis emerged from a trading halt on Monday to confirm its planned $1 billion McPhillamys project in New South Wales had gone up smoke, after Minister Plibersek ruled in favour of a Section 10 application under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984.
Ms Plibersek late on Friday said she had made a “partial declaration” that would “protect a significant Aboriginal site” from being “destroyed” to build the McPhillamys tailings dam.
- With AAP
