<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-28/queensland-daintree-electricity-power-debate-over-diesel-solar/103896740>
'British naturalist Sir David Attenborough called it the "most extraordinary
place on earth".
The globally renowned rainforest and crystal-clear waterways of the World
Heritage-listed Daintree in Far North Queensland attract hundreds of thousands
of tourists each year.
But it often shocks visitors to hear that many hotels and businesses in the
area burn hundreds of litres of diesel fuel each week to stay open.
"The Europeans especially are absolutely horrified," local hotel owner Mark
Cromwell said.
"They come to a World Heritage-listed national park … and the message is,
'We're not really committed to the environment.'"
Despite having a permanent population of about 800 people, there is no mains
power in the Daintree, just a two-hour drive north of Cairns.
It was a decision made by the Queensland government in the 1990s to help
control development and over-population in the world's oldest surviving
rainforest.
But in 2012, the government's Daintree Policy was repealed, allowing residents
and businesses to install their own isolated networks with approval from the
energy regulator.
The federal government took that a step forward in 2022 and signed off on a
$18.75 million funding deal for a renewable-energy microgrid, which would
include an 8-megawatt solar farm and power delivered to homes and businesses
via underground cabling.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
