In June, the Renewable Energy Zone near Dubbo received 113 registrations of interest to a value of $38 billion.

When totalled, the project could generate nine times more energy than the NSW Government had planned.

OTHER RECENT ECO NEWS COLUMNS:

Next Friday, September 25 is School Strike For Climate's (SS4C) National Day of Action.

The theme is "Fund our future, not gas", appealing to the Morrison government to drop plans to underwrite gas projects, develop new pipelines, new onshore and offshore gas and shale fracking.

The day will coincide with an international day of global action. Young people around the world will be standing up to demand a COVID recovery that puts the climate and their future first.

Strikers argue that using taxpayers' money to prop up the gas industry is a misuse of public funds, which could be better spent investing in alternatives like renewable energy that will create sustainable jobs for young people and help to fight the climate crisis.

Bathurst Community Climate Action Network (BCCAN) supports the aspirations of young people who see the harm in locking in continued reliance on gas, because it releases large quantities of highly damaging methane.

Fortunately, there is no need to develop further fossil fuel infrastructure.

Australia is the sunniest and windiest inhabited continent on the planet. Australia has everything it needs to make deep, enduring and immediate cuts to greenhouse gas emissions that far outstrip the marginal - and possibly non-existent - benefits of gas.

The local actions will be taking all precautions to be COVID-safe.

Next Friday, all are welcome to see us in Berry Park any time between 4pm and 5pm and join in Walk for the Planet clockwise around the riverside walk.

We encourage you to bring your own signs and wear yellow, the colour of SS4C.

There will be opportunities to learn more, sign petitions and take selfies.

Earlier, people can see us and sign petitions outside the Council Chamber from 8.30am-9.30am; in front of Paul Toole's office from 11am-noon; and in front of Andrew Gee's office from 1pm-2pm.

We look forward to supporting our young people and the next generation.