The industrial town of Port Augusta is being watched by energy giants and environmentalists alike to see if it can lead the way to a clean-energy Australia.
ON A LONG FLAT ROAD out of the South Australian town of Port Augusta along the coast, a couple of chimneys rise up in the distance. Out here, where the Spencer Gu
lf, roads, rail and airports come together, smokestacks are pretty common. Port Augusta is an industrial hub where the salt marsh and outback meet.
But these two chimneys, belonging to Playford B and Northern power stations, have caused more heartache and more hope than most.
“Routine South Australian Health data showed there was double the expected rate of new diagnoses of lung cancer in Port Augusta in the years 2005 to 2007. That caused a lot of concern in the local community,” says Dr Douglas Shaw, member of Doctors for the Environment Australia.
