Easier, cheaper energy fix

THERE is a lot of talk and some money being spent to work out what the future for Tassie energy looks like. Guy Barnett’s Talking Point article ( Mercury, July 19) laid out this in general terms. Unfortunately, it’s an expensive and poor plan.

I spent 45 years as an electrical engineer and project manager. There is no reason for Tassie to be the battery of the nation unless we are producing excess cheap renewable power. Right now, we’re a net importer of power from the mainland.

If you invest another $2 billion in wind power in Tassie, you will become a net average exporter of about 200MW. There is no additional Basslink required for that (it’s already good for 500MW continuous). There is no need for pumped Hydro, just don’t use the water we have when the wind is blowing (this process already exists). Even better, if you really want Tassie to improve its energy situation, then provide increased incentives to reduce energy consumption away from poor efficiency systems such as home hot water, home heating and heavy industry wastage (industry consumes more than 60 per cent of what we generate.) Just put the prices up a bit for the poor efficiency consumption products and give producers better feed in tariffs. Tasmanians will do the rest.

Well what about the rest of Australia, what will they do without our battery? Presuming they were going to pay for the additional Basslinks at $1 billion each, get them to put the wind generators on their side of Bass Strait because it still blows there, and the power will be where they need it. That would relieve them of the need for more Basslinks. When they have put in enough wind power, do the Snowy 2 scheme, at their cost of course. They can then become the battery of the nation.

It’s really not as complicated as it sounds, we sort out our own plans without spending huge capital (probably $4 billion as proposed) and let the mainland sort out theirs with less capital spending for them on devices that are not needed.

Oh, and the rest of Australia, get on with it. Coal-fired power stations are like old cars, just imagine our coal-fired power stations like the old cars you see driving around Cuba in the movies. They are all getting old and unreliable and cost a fortune to maintain and refurbish. They are not a solution. The service will have to depart and return from the city and hour return trip with picking up passengers. It only has a 30seat capacity. How much of a solution is it? How is the bus going to get through the traffic at the mountain base? This service will not alleviate such traffic jams, as it has nowhere near the capacity to do so. It will be an enjoyable ride to the summit, stuck in traffic at the base for hours in a bus. It’s not like it can turn around on the narrow road. Will the road have to be reserved for exclusive use of the bus after snow to make the service viable? This initiative strikes me as a Band-Aid solution that has been rushed through for the sake of appearances. A kneejerk thought bubble.

Lawyers win

LET’S not be conned by the Tasmanian Law Society. The society’s support of expanding the definitions of domestic violence has nothing to do with the need for law reform or any related morality argument. Any expansion, however meritorious or necessary, will give the unscrupulous element of the profession further scope to exploit vulnerable clients with promises of undeliverable outcomes. In these situations the only winner is the lawyer.

Hospital in crisis

I’M glad questions are being asked about the suitability of the Health Minister and his management of the hospitals. I work at the Royal Hobart Hospital and things have never been worse. We are at escalation level 4 at least every week and flu season hasn’t even arrived. I know my colleagues at Launceston General Hospital are facing the same, if not worse pressures, particularly in the Emergency Department.

To make matters worse, returning to DHHS now means we just have more red tape to navigate and are even less clear on what our jobs are and to whom we are required to report. Time for some courageous decisions Mr Hodgman.

Get to the Point

THE management of the Macquarie Point development is a disaster — bad ideas, no action and millions wasted. We should look at establishing a science museum, aquarium and planetarium as part of any development. This would be a great way to inspire schoolchildren to further their education in science and maths. There is scope for an Aboriginal interpretation centre and the part recreation of the Kings Yard where early settlement trades were located.

Could part of the Glenorchy Transport Museum be relocated at Macquarie Point? The establishment of such facilities would create long-term benefits for our community and also have tourism potential.

I call on the Premier to sort out this mess, put some government funding in, ask for business and community support, and finally realise something beneficial at Macquarie Point.