Renewable plans threaten bushfire safety , critics warn | Newcastle Herald

newcastleherald.com.au · Feb 23, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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File pictureAS Victoria recently battled devastating bushfires, where aerial firefighting proved critical to protecting lives and property, I am deeply concerned about what the proposed New England Renewable Energy Zone transmission corridor could mean for our community's safety. There are also broader issues at play, including environmental impacts and questions around due process, but the immediate risk to bushfire response cannot be ignored.Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingSave 30%All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperCrosswords, Sudoku and TriviaAll other in your areaThe proposed transmission lines would be in the exact area where NSW Rural Fire Service aircraft scoop water from Lake Glenbawn. Only weeks ago, we saw firsthand the crucial role these aircraft play, scooping water from the dam to fight a local fire from the very location where EnergyCo proposes to build transmission infrastructure.If this corridor proceeds, our fear is that Lake Glenbawn would effectively become unsafe for aerial firefighting. In one of NSW's most bushfire-prone regions, this is simply unacceptable. This is not a NIMBY argument. This is not about how the valley looks. This is about protecting human lives, livestock, and livelihoods. While there is minimal willingness to sell along the route, 20 landholders and more than 300 objectors have united in opposition to this corridor.We are asking for responsible infrastructure planning. We are asking to be heard. And we are asking decision-makers to learn from what Victoria is experiencing right now, before it's too late.Budget squeeze comes at a costHealth care is about caring, and when you have managers having to make decisions due to tight budgets the cheapest options may be taken. For example, that could potentially mean employing staff with lesser qualifications and experience than necessary to do a good job. Recognising when people are seriously ill in an emergency department requires expertise and experience to ensure the safety of all people including those exhibiting mental health issues. In my view, the Mater has failed the people of Newcastle over many years and it is time that federal and state governments reform the tax system to adequately fund public hospitals without resorting to public-private partnerships.The rich can always afford good healthcare and education, which is not the case for an increasing number of Australians.There is a reason why carers are highly valued, and without good management and an adequate budget, public hospitals and schools will be forced to skimp.Taylor's climate stance in spotlightAS an incoming Leader of the Opposition, Angus Taylor has received some glowing commentary. He has even been described as having the looks and charm of a young Kennedy. I presume the author of that comment meant senator John Kennedy, and not Robert Kennedy Jr, but for a struggling opposition the past actions of a contender rather than appearance should have been the deciding factor in choosing a new leader.One action that should cause concern is Angus Taylor's stint as energy minister, where, according to Malcolm Turnbull, he was a passionate advocate for carbon pricing but has now reversed that decision, and as shadow minister decided to scrap the net zero target established by Scott Morrison in 2021. This was deemed as too ambitious and unachievable, which is very probably true because we can't meet the demands created by a growth economy. But that doesn't mean it isn't essential.Scrapping the target is just a license to carry on polluting. What we need is a change of policies that will make the goal possible and this is to reduce the power demands created by heavy power users like AI and our booming population growth.Outdated solution at future's priceHAS anyone considered that the Sydney-Newcastle high-speed rail line might be obsolete before the first sleeper is bolted down?A recent article says the cost has tripled, but what if the bigger risk is the timeline? By the time a line is running, won't most commuters be in self-driving cars or shuttle buses that can travel in tight, coordinated convoys on the M1, moving more people with fewer delays and taking you door-to-door with no station changes? If vehicles can drive themselves, isn't "one seat from your driveway to the city" the real revolution?If my theory is wrong, I'd genuinely like to know: what's the evidence that self-driving won't mature fast enough, won't be approved, or won't end up cheaper per passenger than building and maintaining a brand new rail line? What problem are we solving - speed, capacity, emissions, reliability - and is a major new rail build still the best tool by the 2030s?I'm not anti-rail. I'm anti building yesterday's future at tomorrow's price.The February 8 2026. Picture by Flavio BrancaleoneInquiry into protest fracas essentialThere are a few images I cannot get out of my head and they scare me. It is to do with the Sydney protest about Isaac Herzog's Australian visit ("Premier defends police response", Newcastle Herald 12/2). Two well-built police officers were extremely vicious and constantly punched a man already subdued and face down on the street. I would like to know what type of training these two have had and is punching and beating people part of police training these days? Police came in large numbers and I would like to know exactly where they came from at such short notice. There are many questions that need answering and an inquiry into the brutality is essential.These rebels have clear causeAMANDA Vanstone ("One-sided debate suits them fine", Opinion, 12/2) is a typical former, bitter, twisted, bigoted conservative politician with nothing better to do than criticise people who are trying to right injustice in the world. Grace Tame is a champion against abuse, and Greta Thunberg a champion for the environment. Good on you both, keep up the good work. Ms Vanstone should be focusing more on why the Liberals are slipping down the drain. The people she is criticising are trying to make the world a better place for upcoming generations.Genocide claims are not newGENOCIDE claims against Israel, Colin Fordham ("All sides are calling it genocide", Letters, 17/2), are nothing new. Russia compared Israel's actions to the Holocaust in 1950, repeating the claim in the UN in 1956, 1967, 1972, 1973, 1980 and 1982, cheered on by enthusiastic Arab states whose genocidal objective was to throw the Jews into the sea. Why the IDF's efforts to minimise civilian casualties and provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, even knowing that some will end up with Hamas? Benjamin Netanyahu said "If we had wanted to commit genocide, it would have taken exactly one afternoon".Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Disclose political party roles or affiliations. Correspondence may be edited in any form.DailyYour morning newsToday's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update.