In their submission to the Senate inquiry into wind farms, the Landscape Guardians said that wind turbines pose the most significant threat to landscapes in the south east of Australia.

This rather astonishing claim only serves to underscore that fact that despite this group claiming to be an ‘environment’ organisation, it is in reality, simply an anti wind group that lacks the honesty to own up to this fact.

This week I have been touring western Victoria with Drew Hutton from the Lock the Gate Alliance in Queensland, running a series of forums which have highlighted the very real threat posed by Coal Seam Gas (CSG), new coal operations, and shale gas across rural Victoria. Last night we heard about the devastating impacts coal is already having on communities around Bacchus Marsh. We have met many farmers who are confused about what might be happening in their area and angry about how hard it is to get information about fossil fuel exploration permits.

Each forum identified the risks of new fossil fuel expansion to landscapes, ground water, communities, biodiversity and food security. New fossil fuel operations will also have a massive climate change impact. Each forum featured a speaker from the Environment Defenders Office who outlined landholders rights when it comes to CSG and coal exploration and mining. We have a forum tonight in Geelong and then one more in Melbourne.

What has been striking – yet again – is that when a real threat to the Victorian countryside is identified, the ‘guardians’ are no where to be seen.

We had some people who are not keen on wind energy come to our forums. There have been some great conversations and sometimes we simply agree to disagree on the question of wind energy. That’s entirely fine.

But its tragic that a group that claims to oppose a whole range of threats to our landscapes are entirely silent on what could result in a massive and profound impact on our landscapes. As usual, they are no where to be seen.

We have a chance to knock off a range of major threats that come with the current wave of exploration for fossil fuels. The community is organising against these projects. How can self proclaimed Guardians of the Environment remain silent in the face of such dire threats to land, water and people?

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