Victoria McKenzie-McHarg runs the Replace Hazelwood campaign for Environment Victoria.

Hazelwood is an old brown coal fired power station in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, and the dirtiest power station in the industrialized world. A recent Environment Victoria report demonstrates that Victoria's alternative power generation projects with planning approval in conjunction with efficiency efforts, are sufficient to allow the closure of Hazelwood by 2012 without impacting on the state's power generating capability.

The public are annoyed that climate change abatement efforts are being made by householders, but the government is not doing its bit.

The State Government's recent proposal to compensate Hazelwood's owners for its part closure sits well with Environment Victoria. They would prefer direct compensation for the purpose of shutting Hazelwood down to compensation that would allow them to keep running under an emissions trading scheme.

Government needs to help communities transition into a non-coal economy. Overall, energy efficiency projects equate to increased employment.

For more information go to www.replacehazelwood.org.au.

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