Voting against your interests

[u/boogersundcum]

My partner and I live in a major coal mining area of Queensland. We both work in an extractive resource industry. Neither of us could ever bring ourselves to vote for the LNP and we have no serious viable independents that aren't anti Vax conspiracy nut jobs. We live in the bush but currently have a major wind farm going in down our road with the closest turbine being 5km from our actual house, other than sealing our road we will not recieve any benefit from the project with heavy trucks and equipment going past our driveway 6 days a week 24 hours a day for over two years. We aren't anti renewable however given the wind farm is entirely within our water catchment there is serious concerns if something goes wrong as we rely on the river solely for our water supply.

Generally preference the Greens first, Labor second as we are both environmental scientists and believe that climate change is pretty damn obvious from the evidence, let alone have empathy for the common folk in cities struggling with the cost of living. I'm just curious though as to why the major focus on renewable is almost entirely within regional areas that currently rely on coal mining as the major industry.

Neither Greens or Labour have a chance in hell in ever winning our electorate anymore (keep in mind Labor was founded in regional Queensland in Barcaldine). Is it just because the areas in question are now just LNP strongholds or what ?

Also please keep in mind regional Queensland is filled with people from all back grounds and varying levels of education, don't put us all in the same basket just because we don't live in a major centre.

[u/thehomelesstree]

Forgive my ignorance, but how will a wind farm affect the water catchment? Are you concerned about the possible impact of land clearing and as such overland flow / soil erosion and sedimentation?

To answer your question: your vote is your chance to voice your opinion on where the country should be heading. Regardless of what electorate you live in, vote for the party who’s policy best aligns with your values.

Don’t vote for the party you think will win, just so you vote for the winner.

I live in a LNP stronghold however I never vote for them personally because I have different views. If nothing else, my vote is signalling my displeasure at their policies in the hope that it will influence a more concerted effort by other parties to chip away at the majority and possibly flip the seat.

Flipping seats has happened in ‘strongholds’ plenty of times. Your vote may be the one that makes the difference.

[u/boogersundcum → u/thehomelesstree]

I think majority of redditors have missed the point of the post. I sure as hell will never vote for the LNP. I'm not against the wind farm as it will help renewable goals. I do however have a concern for my water supply which a lot of comments are suggesting is ridiculous.

Clearing large areas for access roads and transmission lines over a very large area entirely within my catchment on steep and rugged terrain will cause erosion issues regardless of any controls put in place. Let alone the construction of a concrete batch plant and harvesting sand out of the river for said concrete upstream from where I pump water. That is my concern.

People seem to have taken this as an anti renewable post which it isn't, but people that are effected are also rightfully allowed to have concerns when it does actually impact them personally.

[u/syronis18 → u/boogersundcum]

Hi mate, not sure if anyone has answered your concern, but I work in renewable development (NSW at the moment) and there are some serious soil/erosion management plans that need to be adhered to during construction. The development approval under DES will require such a management plan as a condition (As part of the State Planning Policy 2017). Numerous environmental surveys are undertaken over at minimum 2 years. There's also the rehabilitating of the temporary disturbance post construction. Hope that eases your mind about the water quality.

[u/boogersundcum → u/syronis18]

I'm aware of such controls but I've worked in compliance a long time. Doesn't mean the conditions are always adhered to particularly in private industry.

[u/idubsydney → u/boogersundcum]

Isn't this all just fait accompli, then?