Replace Hazelwood and return water to Gippsland Lakes
Hazelwood’s annual water use is 27 billion litres, the equivalent of a month’s worth of Melbourne’s total water use every year. And the power stations in Gippsland alone account for 3% of total water use in this state.
If the state government replaced Hazelwood, much of this water could be returned to the struggling Latrobe River which flows into the Gippsland Lakes.
The Gippsland Lakes are the largest freshwater lakes system in Australia. They are internationally significant as a haven for the world’s declining water-bird populations and are considered the region’s greatest asset for tourism, lifestyle, commercial and recreational fishing and boating.
But in the face of climate change and the impacts of consumptive users, inflows into the rivers that feed the Gippsland Lakes have reduced by a massive 41%. Without enough freshwater, the Lakes system is being devastated.
The best way to restore the balance is to reduce the impacts of climate change and return water to the rivers that flow into the internationally significant Lakes system.
So, replacing Hazelwood is good for climate change, and returning Hazelwood’s water entitlement will help rescue our rivers.
Speak up for the Lakes system and its rivers by demanding the state government Replace Hazelwood and return its water entitlement to our rivers.
Please take action! Click here and sign the letter. We’ll send it to our state and Federal Labor and Coalition leaders so that they know you want a Clean Energy future and water returned to our rivers.
