NATIONAL coverage this week of poor old Wang power station crumbling in a cloud of concrete dust included optimistic chatter of the part to be played in the new Wang by replacing future jobs lost in mining.
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But while the intentions are no doubt sincere the reality is somewhat different. Put simply there are not many well paid jobs in clean energy generation. We've already been told that two battery farms planned at sites in Wang will require no one once the job's done.
As a northern NSW Mayor lamented recently the only new jobs her town acquired from a clean energy project were mowing the grass around the installations. Still, we live in hope while continuing to live in the shadow of looming not-so-clean energy - the shameful treatment of our area by the NSW Government in what we fear is a done deal to dump Sydney's waste on us for burning in a 'waste to energy' incinerator.
As a footnote to all that we see Energy Australia has pulled out of a similar waste energy joint venture it was planning for Mt Piper after 'evaluating technical and economic merits.'
Obviously there were no such merits and project partners Re-Group are left to make their own arrangements.
The wheat from the chaff
EARLY votes are already being cast in our ever hopeful intent to elect a new Council to navigate the next four years. Voters faced the daunting task of finding their way through a minefield of civic minded hopefuls whose ambitions for Greater Lithgow faced voter detours where good judgement sometimes risks being sidetracked by fake news, half truths, tongue in cheek promises and even occasional fibs. Still, with a little luck and mature judgement we'll emerge at the other end ready to tackle a brave new era. We're forever hopeful .
The test of time
NOW here's an important birthday we almost missed. Lithgow's heritage listed Union Theatre, where the legendary Nellie Melba once trod the boards, turned 130 this year. Yep, completed in 1891 and, unlike Nellie Melba, still in great shape.
NOW straight from Conspiracy Central, Craig Kelly and Clive Palmer have emerged as the New Messiahs for the four and a half per cent (or less) of Australians who see The Jab as greater threat than The Covid. Things come in three so just wait for odd bod George Christison to come on board and there's a truly Messianic Trifecta. Anti-vaxxers are a determined lot but coming to mind is a memorable quote we saw somewhere that '..conspiracy theorists die by their own delusions'.
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