As the South Australian government fights a state election where Labor is in a three-way battle for power with the Coalition and Nick Xenophon鈥檚 SA Best party, it has announced plans to build a 250MW 鈥渧irtual power plant鈥, linking household rooftop solar and battery storage.
Jay Weatherill
Right-wing politicians have blown hard on the anti-renewables dog-whistle since February 8, when extreme temperatures in South Australia were followed by rolling electricity blackouts.
Late that afternoon, power demand in the state spiked to near-record levels. From about 6pm, 100 megawatts 鈥 roughly 3% of the state鈥檚 total demand 鈥 was shed for about half an hour.
Usually, when people mention dying in a ditch, they are discussing something they would much rather avoid. But for the South Australian state Labor government of Premier Jay Weatherill, dying in a ditch seems a positive ambition.
For Weatherill and his cabinet, the 鈥渄itch鈥 is the government鈥檚 plan to host up to a third of the world鈥檚 high-level nuclear waste in a giant dump in the state鈥檚 remote north. The dump scheme was rejected decisively on November 6 by a government-organised 鈥淐itizens鈥 Jury鈥.
To the fury of business spokespeople, South Australia鈥檚 鈥淐itizens鈥 Jury on Nuclear Waste鈥 has effectively exploded plans by the state Labor government to host the world鈥檚 largest nuclear waste dump.
The jury was intended by Premier Jay Weatherill to lend his scheme a garnish of popular consent. But in their final report on November 6, the jurors instead concluded that the dump plan should not go ahead 鈥渦nder any circumstances鈥. The vote was overwhelming, with two-thirds of jury members opposing the government鈥檚 projections.
Efforts to halt plans for nuclear waste dumping in South Australia have made important advances in recent weeks, with environmental, trade union, indigenous and other bodies pushing for a joint opposition campaign.
At a September 16 meeting called by the peak labour movement body, SA Unions, and the Maritime Union of Australia, members of at least 14 organisations resolved to work toward forming a coordinating committee 鈥渁round the common objective of preventing nuclear waste dumps being established in South Australia鈥.
In the plans of governments in Adelaide and Canberra, South Australia is to become the country鈥檚 鈥渘uclear waste dump state鈥.
Most South Australians remain sceptical. And among the state鈥檚 Aboriginal population 鈥 on whose ancestral lands the dumps would be located 鈥 opposition to the scheme is rock-solid.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very simple and easy to understand,鈥 Aboriginal activist Regina McKenzie told 麻豆传媒 Weekly on May 24. 鈥淣o means no!鈥
In the plans of governments in Adelaide and Canberra, South Australia is to become the country's 鈥渘uclear waste dump state鈥.