MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire last week took the unusual step of organising a demonstration to show the state government how much opposition there is to AGL’s plan for an import gas terminal at Crib Point and a 55km pipeline to Pakenham.
The mood was urgent as Planning Minister Richard Wynne will decide on the proposal within the next four weeks (“Shire, Opposition unite against AGL” The News 16/2/21).
The shire and 28 community organisations and businesses have signed an open letter and sent a video to Mr Wynne urging him to reject the power company’s plan.
The letter, also sent to the board of AGL, details concerns about the threats posed by the gas plant to the marine and coastal environment and to the amenity of nearby townships.
“The clock is ticking; the future of our beloved Western Port Bay hangs in the balance,” the mayor Cr Despi O’Connor said. “In less than four weeks the Victorian government will make a decision that could seriously risk this internationally recognised ecosystem. The community is demanding to be heard; we do not want this gas plant.”
First published in the Western Port News – 3 March 2021
