THREE Ballarat sustainability groups have joined forces in support of a plan to build Australia's first solar thermal power station in Port Augusta.
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Dressed in sun outfits and displaying colourful solar posters, members of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, 100% Renewable and Ballarat Renewable Energy And Zero Emissions (BREAZE) staged a Walk for Solar rally in front of the office of Federal Member for Ballarat Catherine King yesterday.
100 % Renewable spokesperson Andrew Bray said they were calling on the government to divert the money it planned to spend on coal power into "forward looking" solutions.
He said solar thermal was still a new technology for Australia.
"Australia is the sunniest country on earth and we don't have a solar thermal power station," he said.
"They're opening in the US and Europe.
"Australia should be doing everything it can to harness the power of the sun, to harness our greatest natural resource."
The Ballarat rally was one of 20 held across Australia.
It coincided with an event what saw 100 people complete a 325km walk from Port Augusta to Adelaide to promote the solar thermal power station.
A rally was also held in front of the South Australian Parliament.
Ms King was not in Ballarat yesterday as she was attending the Australian Transplant Games in Newcastle in her role as Parliamentary Secretary for Health.