Today's release of the National Renewables Truth Map on World Habitat Day shows the extent of the planned destruction of the Australian landscape and finally answers the question - how much will it cost?
Federal Member for Flynn, Mr Colin Boyce MP stated that
today's announcement by the conservationist group Rainforest Reserves highlights the issues that he has been raising for years.
"This will be the first time that Australians can see what is planned for their backyard and around our country. There are nearly 100 of these projects in my electorate of Flynn, on agricultural land and in ranges that should be protected," he said.
The Truth Map has been the work of conservationist and award-winning wilderness photographer Steve Nowakowski in collaboration with Rainforest Reserves Australia.
It shows the planned and operational projects across Australia, identifying:
- 31,000 wind turbine towers
- 28,000 km of high-voltage transmission lines
- 7,800 km of undersea cabling
- 44,000 km of new haulage roads, longer than Australia's coastline
- 584 million solar panels covering 443,755 hectares
"We finally have a real cost of these projects, with $1.38 trillion in total costs for projects that will last 25 years," said Mr Boyce.
"These are overwhelmingly subsidised by taxpayers and have intermittent capacities, known to be 25% - 35% effective. That means they don't work 65% - 75% of the time.
"The mapping shows that these projects are in places that Australians want protected. The sheer extent of the destruction of our regions can finally be seen, easily searched and all in one place," said Mr Boyce.
"This isn't just about economics," Mr Nowakowski added. "It's about the kind of country that we leave for future generations. On World Habitat Day, Australians deserve to see the truth."
"After decades photographing Australia's wild places, I have never seen a threat like this," said Steve Nowakowski. "The Truth Map empowers every Australian to see what is really happening - zoom into your backyard and see what is coming. For too long, the full picture has been hidden."
How to Use the Truth Map
- Open the Map
Visit https://www.rainforestreserves.org.au/renewablestruthmap
- Load the Data
Allow a short time for project data to upload.
- Explore Your Area
- Zoom in and scroll across the map
- Click on projects to view detailed information (size, type, company)
- Filter by Project Type
Use the left-hand menu to select: Wind, Solar, Transmission, or Offshore.
