Commending Future Sooner's citizens' inquiry into the health impacts of coal-fired power stations

Today in Parliament, Abigail passed a motion commending the advocacy of the community-led group, Future Sooner, in championing a clean and healthy future for the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie.

Abigail said:

I move:

(1) That this House notes that:

Future Sooner, a community-led advocacy group committed to working towards a clean energy future for the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie, is conducting a Citizens Inquiry into health concerns arising from coal-fired power stations and will hold a public hearing on Sunday 25 August 2024 at Halekulani Bowling Club;
the inquiry’s panellists, comprised of local professors, doctors and health professionals, will report on the stories presented by residents on the day or submitted in writing in relation to the impact on their health of contamination and pollution from coal-fired power stations and their ash dams;
the inquiry is requesting submissions and testimony from community members, particularly those who have been affected by health problems such as cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other respiratory illnesses; and
the inquiry will draw on the recommendations of the NSW Parliament Public Works Committee’s Inquiry into Costs for remediation of sites containing coal ash repositories, which made key recommendations in relation to the health impacts of coal ash dams in NSW and strategies to protect the health of local citizens.

(2) That this House commends the work of Future Sooner and community members involved in advocating for a clean and healthy future for the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie.

Read the transcript in Hansard here.

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

And that’s exactly what the Universal Wellbeing Payment will do.

It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

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Commending Future Sooner's citizens' inquiry into the health impacts of coal-fired power stations

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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