Six candidates for Eden-Monaro have presented their positions on climate change, native forests and a range of other issues at a forum organised by Clean Energy for Eternity (CEFE).
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The June 4 forum in Bermagui was attended by Labor’s Mike Kelly, The Greens’ Tamara Ryan, the Animal Justice Party’s Frankie Seymour and Independents Daniel Grosmaire, Andrew Thaler and Ray Buckley. The Liberals’ Peter Hendy was invited but did not attend.
Almost all attending candidates said they believed CEFE’s target of 50 per cent energy reduction and 50 per cent renewable energy by 2020 was achievable – except Mr Thaler who thought 50 per cent renewable energy could be achieved by 2030.
When discussing Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) - 20-year plans for the sustainable management and conservation of Eden-Monaro’s native forests - none of the candidates supported their rollover, but Mr Thaler and Dr Kelly supported a review of the agreements.
The candidates were asked what they would do to make the Great Southern Forests a reality, the campaign for which states RFAs failed environmentally and economically and logging native forests for woodchips was unsustainable.
If voted in, Ms Seymour would use her position to heighten public awareness of the need to cease logging and start using them for carbon credits and wildlife protection, Mr Buckley supported changing the management policy of forests while Mr Grosmaire said he was for sustainability over conservation.
Dr Kelly talked about the ecotourism potential of the Bundian Way and his desire to get more funding behind it while Ms Ryan called for an end to native forest logging as it was costing the economy $43million a year, but she supported a transition to plantation forests to retain public forestry workers’ jobs.
When asked by an audience member if they supported fluoridation of public water, Dr Kelly said he did, Mr Grosmaire and Mr Buckley did not, Mr Thaler was unsure while Ms Ryan and Ms Seymour supported local communities’ decisions on the issue.