A submission to list the orange-bellied parrot as critically endangered, could put an end to wind farms in Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria.

The people of Te Anga and Marakopa happily meet the cost of travelling long distances from their isolated settlements for shopping, entertainment and medical attention.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) _ Australia's government says its plans to create the world's largest solar power station by turning a wasteland into a glistening field of mirrors is a step toward making the sun-drenched country a world leader in clean energy. But critics say the government, which is riding on the back of an economic boom driven by sales of Australia's main export, coal, and other resources, is moving too slowly on less-polluting alternatives to fossil fuels and is using clean-energy arguments to launch a nuclear power industry.

Australia's prime minister has backed an electricity and gas company study emphasizing nuclear and coal instead of renewable energy and energy efficiency. As Australia attempts to address greenhouse gas emissions and a need for more energy, Prime Minister John Howard said, The answer is a greater emphasis on clean coal and nuclear power.He was responding to a report by the Energy Supply Association of Australia that said hitting a goal for reducing global warming pollution by 2030 would cost $75 billion, and wind, solar and other non-polluting energy sources would not be enough. It recognizes that while renewables such as solar and wind have a role to play, and we have always argued that, they will not provide the fundamental answer, Howard said. The ESAA is a trade group of Australia's electricity and downstream gas industries, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The report said Australia should feed between 15 percent and 20 percent of its energy demand by nuclear reactors and rely on natural gas and coal for much of the rest. It is in the interests of the fossil fuel industry to claim that renewable energy and energy efficiency are no solution to climate change and that we must rely instead on an experimental and costly technology, said Christine Milne, a senator with the Green Party.

The Government’s energy strategy declares a preference for renewable energy and for emissions trading but comes with two major caveats. One is Energy Minister David Parker’s assurance yesterday that security of supply is paramount. Because of the variability from one year to another in how much rain and snow fall in the catchment of the hydro lakes, and because of the intermittent nature of wind power, that suggests a continuing major role - as Parker confirmed - for thermal generators. The other caveat relates to his oft-stated need to relate the stringency of any measures New Zealand adopts in the longer term to the pace of progress elsewhere in the world.

Eastern Southland farmers whose land TrustPower is eying up for a wind farm were reluctant to speak about the proposed project yesterday because of confidentiality agreements. TrustPower said earlier a site at Otaraia, about 15km south-east of Gore and between Mataura and Clinton, had been monitored for nine months and showed good potential for a wind farm. Several farmers who own land being monitored said they could not comment because of confidentiality agreements.

The owner of WA's second-biggest wind farm has confirmed it is considering offloading the asset in a bid to cut its bulging $1 billion debt mountain. It gave no details about the fate of its only WA asset, the 90 megawatt wind farm near Walkaway 30km south-east of Geraldton.

TrustPower has shelved plans for a major wind farm in Marlborough indefinitely, blaming the deteriorating New Zealand dollar and a controversial Electricity Commission decision.

Back in April Crikey revealed that the council was looking into a complaint against Sarah Laurie, the CEO of the small-but-powerful anti-wind farm Waubra Foundation, after an anonymous document claimed Laurie had breached ethical codes of research conduct. ...Professor Warwick Anderson, the chief executive of the NHMRC, released a statement yesterday explaining that since Laurie and Waubra do not receive federal funding, the NHMRC had no authority to investigate the claims.

Meridian Energy has applied for resource consent to build a wind farm on the Lammermoor Range west of Dunedin.

Meridian Energy is confident it can address the Department of Conservation's fears about the effects of its 92 square kilometre windfarm in Central Otago. DoC has lodged a submission to the Central Otago District Council saying the windfarm should be declined a resource consent, despite the Government submitting in support of it.

Meridian Energy has strenuously attacked a suggestion that it has a secret expansion plan for its proposed $2 billion Central Otago wind farm. It insists that is not the case. The controversial Project Hayes - to erect 176 wind turbines on the Lammermoor Range, 30km south of Ranfurly - has been opposed by All Black Anton Oliver, poet Brian Turner and artist Grahame Sydney.

The TrustPower machine rumbled into Outram yesterday, highlighting details of the proposed Mahinerangi wind farm and answering locals’ questions. And it seemed Tony Penny, of Traffic Design Group, addressed the most contentious issue early. He explained the trucks destined to rumble through Outram’s main street would be manoeuvrable enough to ensure the corner pub would not be damaged. That statement prompted appreciative murmurs from the audience. TrustPower staff outnumbered residents by 20 to 16 and fielded none of the heated questions which came from Lee Stream locals the previous night.

HORSHAM community leaders want the right to veto the construction of wind-powered turbines if improvements in technology make the Horsham district a viable area for the machines.

Supporters of Prime Minister John Howard's policy that Australia should introduce nuclear power are outnumbered by opponents, an opinion poll revealed Saturday. Howard on Friday urged state leaders to lift bans on expanding Australia's uranium industry and said the country needs to introduce nuclear power to meet its future energy needs. "Nuclear power is part of the solution both to Australia's energy and climate change challenges," Howard said, releasing a report on the uranium industry's potential. A respected Newspoll published in The Weekend Australian newspaper Saturday found just 35 percent of respondents supported the construction of nuclear power plants in Australia — down from 38 percent when a similar poll was conducted in May. A poll also showed opposition to nuclear power in Australia had edged down from 51 to 50 percent during the same period. The remainder are undecided.

Expansion of the nation’s electricity generation by wind turbines may be eco-friendly, but it’s not winning hearts and minds in local communities, says Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Morgan Williams. Dr William’s report – Wind Power, People and Place – released today, said tensions were being increased by the limited scope for most New Zealanders to be involved in wind power development.

Lee Stream locals locked horns with TrustPower over the proposed Mahinerangi wind farm at a Lee Stream meeting last night. TrustPower came armed with a team of nearly 20, including experts in various fields. Local farmer Peter Doherty (46) said consultation had been extensive but it meant nothing as the locals’ concerns did not bring about any change. “These big corporations have got as many dollars as they want to throw at it, so what are a bunch of farmers going to do?”

The No TasWind Farm Group, which has now hired the services of a mainland PR company to help it fight the $2 billion proposal, collected 434 signatures on its petition which has been presented to the King Island Council.

UPPER Lachlan Shire councillor, John Coombs, told Thursday's ordinary meeting in Gunning he believed the wind farm issue was "now dead".

Energy giant AGL has formally dumped a controversial $140 million wind farm in South Gippsland, Victoria. The company originally put the 48-turbine Dollar wind farm on hold last October and yesterday confirmed it was pulling out altogether. AGL said the project was less financially attractive than others under consideration. The decision was purely a business one, AGL said. But the Dollar project, near Foster, was strongly opposed by thousands of Gippsland residents who claimed it would be a blight on the coastline.