A GROUP of central Victorians walked through Bendigo yesterday to demand more investment in solar power energy.
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The Bendigo Sustainability Group organised the walk from Senator Bridget McKenzie’s office in High Street to the office of outgoing Federal Member for Bendigo Steve Gibbons.
It coincided with several other SOLARdarity walks across Australia, a campaign calling for the nation to have 100 per cent renewable energy.
Dozens of people completed a 300-kilometre walk from Port Augusta in South Australia to Adelaide to show their support for replacing two power stations in Port Augusta with a solar plant.
ALP candidate for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said a similar result could be achieved in central Victoria.
Ms Chesters said the move from coal to solar would be environmentally beneficial, would lower power bills and would create jobs.
“It’s good for jobs, for industry, for the environment. It just makes sense,” she said.
Liberal candidate for Bendigo Greg Bickley was unable to attend but in a letter said the Coalition government also supported the move to solar energy.
The walk’s organiser, Colin Lambie, of the Bendigo Sustainability Group, said the day’s walks had raised awareness of the issue.
“We want to put pressure on the governments, both federal and state, to support moving from coal to solar. Hopefully we’ll have our own solar power station here in central Victoria.”
Mr Lambie said the lack of solar energy sources in Victoria was due to government inaction.
“The people are for it. Now we’re calling on all political parties to support this,” he said.