Healthy Futures and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) welcome the Victorian Government’s announcement today detailing their significant commitment to rolling out renewable energy generation and supply via the State Electricity Commission (SEC).
The announcement supports 4.5 GW of renewable energy development, funding for domestic electrification and the development of energy storage projects.
“We know that coal and fossil gas contribute to asthma, heart diseases and other lung diseases, so the Government’s commitment to renewable energy is good for both our health and our climate.” said Dr Aadhil Aziz, Co-Deputy Chair of the RACGP Victorian Faculty.
Healthy Futures, an interdisciplinary organisation of healthcare workers and community members advocating for a healthy environment, particularly welcomes the proposal for public hospitals and other public buildings to purchase renewable energy through the SEC, as it supports the Victorian Government’s prior commitment for all of its operations, including public hospitals, to run on 100% renewable electricity by 2025.
While the Victorian Government has also committed to build new hospitals without fossil gas if they are designed from 2024 onwards, Healthy Futures remains concerned that some upcoming new hospital builds such as the West Gippsland Hospital might fall through the cracks.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms the Victorian Government’s commitment to protecting people’s health from air pollution and climate change, but we need confirmation from the Victorian Energy Minister and Health Minister that all new hospitals, including the new West Gippsland Hospital, will be fully powered by clean, healthy renewable energy.” said Healthy Futures Coordinator and general practitioner Dr Harry Jennens
Healthy Futures was also a recent partner in the Transform Renewable Energy Jobs Expo in Gippsland and would like to acknowledge the importance of today’s announcement for creating healthy, sustainable jobs in the Gippsland region.
