HYDRO’S SHADY SARAWAK VENTURE IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Greens Call for Minister to Recall All Hydro Staff

Kim Booth MP
Greens Energy Spokesperson

The Tasmanian Greens today called on the Minister for Energy to direct Hydro Tasmania to recall all of its employees currently involved in environmentally and socially destructive dam building practices in Malaysia.

Greens Energy spokesperson Kim Booth MP said Tasmania’s involvement in the environmental destruction and displacement of indigenous people in Sarawak and is to be exposed tonight on the SBS Dateline program.

“The Tasmanian Greens are seriously concerned about the work that Hydro’s consulting arm Entura has been undertaking in Sarawak,’ Mr Booth said.

“We know that the Bakun dam has displaced thousands of families in Sarawak and flooded thousands of square kilometres of land, much of which is critical rainforest.”

“Tasmania has no place getting involved in such shady ventures, and unfortunately we are now in the national and international spotlight for all the wrong reasons.”

“Our office recently received a copy of a letter sent by the chairman of an ENGO in Sarawak called Save Rivers to the company in charge of the project, Sarawak Energy Berhad, expressing concerns about Hydro’s involvement.”

“Save Rivers is extremely concerned about comments contained in Hydro Tasmania’s Annual Report stating that practices in Sarawak reflect ‘how Australia did things a few decades ago’.”

“A Tasmanian taxpayer owned company should not be supporting dodgy environmental and human rights practices, whether it’s in Tasmania or elsewhere in the world.”

August 22, 2012