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====Project Costs Escalate====
During a federal Senate Economics Committee meeting on February 23 2011, Geoff Stone of the Department of Resources Energy and Tourism, the agency which administers the [[Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund]], revealed that the latest project cost estimate has risen from the original $750 million to $1.1 billion. In response to questions from Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne, Stone stated that the deed of agreement between HRL and the Commonwealth was "commercial-in-confidence" and that, while there are preconditions which need to be met before the promised $100 million can be paid to the company, the timetable was flexible. Stone told the Senate committee that the company had requested and been granted extensions to the deadline to meet conditions on "at least three and potentially four" occasions.<ref>[http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S13579.pdf "Senate Economics Legislation Committee Estimates"], Commonwealth of Australia, Proof Committee Hansard, February 23, 2011, pages 74-75. (Pdf)</ref>
Ms Margaret Sewell, the head of the Clean Energy Division in the department and the CEO of the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy told the committee that "the project proponents still have to reach financial close before any of the Australian government’s funding will be realised. If the rules under which this power station is built were to change, then they would have to deal with that. We will not sign the deed and make the commitment of the money unless they have reached closure, and they will have to deal with carbon pricing, emissions standards—whatever the environmental controls of the day are. That is just part of the project.<ref>[http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S13579.pdf "Senate Economics Legislation Committee Estimates"], Commonwealth of Australia, Proof Committee Hansard, February 23, 2011, page 78. (Pdf)</ref>
SW: shift section on increasing costs
At the time of the announcement, the Energy and Resources Minister [[Peter Batchelor]] backed the project arguing that "we can’t turn coal off overnight. If we are serious about reducing emissions from energy generation, the solution needs to be a combination of developing new renewable energy sources and by making our traditional energy sources, such as coal, cleaner, through projects such as this."<ref name="idgcc"/> The project also drew support from the Nationals Member for Gippsland [[Darren Chester]].<ref>[http://www.nationals.org.au/News/LatestNews/tabid/94/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4259/750m-gas-fired-power-station-steps-forward.aspx "$750m gas fired power station steps forward"], Media Release, September 25, 2009.</ref>
=== Exemption from Environment Effects Act ===
After receiving over 4000 submissions, the EPA's Gippsland regional manager Elizabeth Radcliffe acknowledged that the number of submissions "is the largest number of submissions EPA has received for an application" of any sort. In response the EPA announced that it had decided to organise a conference "chaired by independent facilitator Bruce Turner" on the proposed power station. However, once again it was in Traralgon.<ref>Environment Protection Agency, [http://epanote2.epa.vic.gov.au/EPA/media.nsf/ad5006bdf5dcd5c84a256695000c4619/f28224e59b592ea4ca2577b90080a085?OpenDocument "Public conference for Dual Gas Proposal"], Media Release, October 12, 2010.</ref>
==Project Costs Escalate==
During a federal Senate Economics Committee meeting on February 23 2011, Geoff Stone of the Department of Resources Energy and Tourism, the agency which administers the [[Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund]], revealed that the latest project cost estimate has risen from the original $750 million to $1.1 billion. In response to questions from Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne, Stone stated that the deed of agreement between HRL and the Commonwealth was "commercial-in-confidence" and that, while there are preconditions which need to be met before the promised $100 million can be paid to the company, the timetable was flexible. Stone told the Senate committee that the company had requested and been granted extensions to the deadline to meet conditions on "at least three and potentially four" occasions.<ref>[http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S13579.pdf "Senate Economics Legislation Committee Estimates"], Commonwealth of Australia, Proof Committee Hansard, February 23, 2011, pages 74-75. (Pdf)</ref>
Ms Margaret Sewell, the head of the Clean Energy Division in the department and the CEO of the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy told the committee that "the project proponents still have to reach financial close before any of the Australian government’s funding will be realised. If the rules under which this power station is built were to change, then they would have to deal with that. We will not sign the deed and make the commitment of the money unless they have reached closure, and they will have to deal with carbon pricing, emissions standards—whatever the environmental controls of the day are. That is just part of the project.<ref>[http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S13579.pdf "Senate Economics Legislation Committee Estimates"], Commonwealth of Australia, Proof Committee Hansard, February 23, 2011, page 78. (Pdf)</ref>
==Citizens groups campaigning against the project==
* Environment Victoria, [http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/tell_the_EPA_to_reject_the_proposed_new_coal-fired_power_station_for_Victoria "Tell the EPA to reject the proposed new coal-fired power station for Victoria"], September 2010.
