– For information only –
ABC News September 24th 2002
New South Wales Premier Bob Carr has announced the company behind the charcoal plant that was set to be built at Mogo on the state’s south coast has decided to pull out.
Mr Carr says Australian Silicon has released a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) saying it would not go ahead with the controversial plant.
State Opposition leader John Brogden has stated he would not support the charcoal plant being built at Mogo if the Coalition wins government.
Mr Carr told Parliament Mr Brogden must bear some of the responsibility for the decision.
“In a statement to the ASX, Australian Silicon chairman George F Jones said the main reason was quote, the overall risk to the project based on statements attributed to State Opposition members and candidates about its future treatment by a coalition government, unquote,” he said.
Australian Silicon managing director Peter Anderton says there were several factors in the feasibility study, which showed the project was not viable in New South Wales.
“What we have announced is because of the difficulties we’ve had with respect to development approvals, the cost of defending any appeal, and the timeframe that will be involved in doing that, the company is best served to use its funds to optimising the project in another spot,” he said.
Chris Cowel, spokesman for Charcoalition – the lobby group formed to fight the plant’s construction, says the whole town will be celebrating tonight.
“This is fantastic news,” he said.
“This is a great victory for this community and the nature coast – the community that has campaigned so loudly, so strongly and so consistently for well over a year.”
