Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today in strong support of the member for Calare and his call to stop wind farms from being built in our state forests. Let me start by saying this: Australians support renewable energy. My community in Fowler supports renewable energy, but we also expect governments to show common sense to plan properly and to protect the environment, not to destroy it in the name of saving it. That is exactly what is happening when wind farms are carved into state forests across New South Wales.

We are told that wind energy is automatically clean and low-emission but that is simply not the full story. Building these massive turbines requires enormous amounts of steel, concrete, rare earth minerals and global transport. All of this is highly energy intensive and carbon heavy. Before a single kilowatt of electricity is ever generated, these projects create massive upfront emissions that nobody seems to talk about. Why should we be clearing state forests—precious environmental assets—to build infrastructure that already carries such a large carbon footprint?

When we look at the long-term impact, the concerns get even more serious. Wind turbine blades are notoriously difficult to recycle. Current technology cannot process the composite materials, so thousands of blades around the world are ending up in landfill. Australia is no exception. While I acknowledge that it is only for softwood pine plantations and not plantation pine forests, we still have to look at how these wind farms are being built and set out across these softwood pine plantations. If we allow wind farms in state forests we risk turning protected lands, areas meant for recreation and conservation, into future waste sites once the turbines reach the end of their 20- to 25-year lifespan. That is not a responsible environmental stewardship.

The irony is that we are destroying natural habitats and biodiversity in order to build something that is meant to help the environment. Renewables must not become a licence to industrialise conservation areas. While these wind farms may not be proposed in the electorate of Fowler, the consequences absolutely flow into my community. Western Sydney suffers from urban heat, poor air quality and rising energy costs. Families and small businesses in Fowler are struggling with electricity bills that go up despite the promise of cheaper renewable energy. Yet here we are, rushing ahead poorly planned renewable projects that will cost more to build, more to maintain and ultimately push more costs onto consumers.

Communities like Fowler are tired of paying for bad planning. We need smart, balanced long-term decisions, not shortcuts, not symbolic gestures, not projects that look good in press releases but create environmental damage and financial burden in years ahead.

The government must also acknowledge that a transition done badly will undermine public support for renewables. People want clean energy but they also want honesty. They want transparency and they want assurances that we are not destroying forests and creating mountains of unrecyclable waste in the name of climate action. If we lose public trust, we lose the transition.

That is why I support the member for Calare's motion. We can and should pursue renewable energy but we must do so responsibly. That begins with a simple principle: state forests should be protected. I commend this motion to the House and support the member for Calare's motion to introduce a bill to stop windfarms in state forests.

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