Alice Springs weighs solar city, waste dump reputation
Tuesday, 17 April, 2007
ABC NT Local News
Alice Springs is one of four sites around the country to earn the tag, with $29 million in Federal Government and private funding to be invested in boosting alternative energy use.
John Huigen from Desert Knowledge Australia says the push to have more people become energy conscious supports the work already being done.
"Desert Knowledge Australia will be building a solar demonstration facility at the Desert Knowledge Precinct just outside of Alice Springs," he said.
"This will tie in very closely to the solar cities win and they'll work in together so that we'll really be able to demonstrate the value of solar technologies and integrate training and so forth into all of that.
"It's a real leg-up in terms of Alice Springs and Alice Springs being the headquarters of Desert Knowledge Australia and the headquarters of the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre. It really just raises the profile and puts a spotlight on Alice as a technologically advanced, forward thinking community."
Environmentalists have welcomed the solar cities win, but warn the Commonwealth to not undo the good.
There will be 1,000 solar hot water systems installed and 850 homes will receive a free energy audit as part of the town's successful solar city bid.
But Natalie Wasley from the Arid Lands Environment Centre says with a nuclear waste dump still looming over central Australia, the announcement is contradictive to the vision.
"Solar cities are definitely a progressive vision and something that may attract people to town, but I think a radioactive waste dump has the potential to really impact on the town as well in a negative way, so it's hard to tell at this stage which could be the stronger influence," she said.