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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/traditional-owners-stake-in-australias-green-energy-transition/102611194>
'Anthony Watson has always lived in the Kimberley, the region he describes as
"the last frontier" in Western Australia's far north.
He's seen plenty of seasons come and go, from the drenching rains of the wet to
the endless blue skies of the dry.
The cycles of life in the region are one of the reasons he wouldn't live
anywhere else.
"I've lived here all of my life and I'll be staying here for the rest of my
life," Mr Watson said.
"It's a lovely setting."
As well as the seasons, Mr Watson has witnessed a step-change in the economic
empowerment of Aboriginal groups in the Kimberley.
The Broome man is the chairman of the Kimberley Land Council, which has helped
many of the region's traditional owners secure native title over their
ancestral lands.
Mr Watson said many of those traditional owners were keen to see economic
development — but on their terms.
"We want to develop projects that are more suitable for the region," he said.
"A lot of the regions up here are not saying no to development.
"But the development needs to suit their type of industry that they want to
create."
To that end, the backers of a new green energy project are hoping to blaze a
trail for others to follow.
The project would involve the construction of a giant 900 megawatt solar farm
at Lake Argyle near Kununurra, 3000 kilometres north of Perth.
From there, renewable electricity would be turned into green hydrogen, before
being piped north to the port of Wyndham, where the gas would be converted to
ammonia — a key ingredient in fertilisers and explosives — and shipped
overseas.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be more than $3 billion.'
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
