In brilliant news for nature and our climate the Independent Planning Commission has knocked back an application to burn native vegetation for electricity at the old Redbank Coal Power Plant. 

But this application should never have happened. The reason it was is because the regulations still allow the burning of native vegetation to generate electricity, it’s absolutely bonkers. 

The then Liberal National Coalition Government made a small change to prohibit the burning of ‘residue’ from native forest logging, with exceptions for three power plants, but as it stands, native vegetation can still be cleared and burnt for electricity!

The corporations that want these climate wrecking and nature destroying projects are taking advantage of these rules and will keep pushing for more of them until we actually close the loop on these out of date laws.

The burning of biomass is marketed by these climate wrecking corporations as carbon neutral, but it actually releases more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than coal or gas.

In NSW, land clearing rates jumped by 40% in 2025 alone, despite the Labor Government going to the last election on a promise to end runaway land clearing. In fact, Labor have promised to outlaw the burning of native vegetation and in their own policy recognise that “burning timber and cleared vegetation for electricity is not carbon neutral and is neither clean or renewable energy”.

It’s time to finish the job, and get our laws to recognise that burning native vegetation for electricity is anti-climate and anti-environment.