Page 383 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 10 February 2021
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contact the facilities management for any maintenance issues. If there are issues of safety, it is appropriate that they contact ACT Policing.
MS LEE: Minister, is it still your position that residents are to contact ACT Policing, given that they have indicated a fear of doing so?
MS VASSAROTTI: As a matter of course, absolutely. In terms of ongoing issues tenants should be working with their ACT tenancy manager. In relation to sites that are having significant issues, there is regular engagement on site by those tenancy managers as well.
Budget—climate action
MS ORR: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, can you outline what the 2020-21 budget investment in climate action programs and policies will mean for Canberra households?
MR BARR: I thank Ms Orr for the question. It is about a $307 million commitment, with a desire to make a significant difference in terms of emissions reduction and cost of living benefits for households, and to support thousands of jobs in the territory economy. There is $150 million towards the Sustainable Household Scheme fund to offer zero interest loans for a range of new technologies to assist households in reducing their cost of living and their emissions. The Big Canberra Battery will also allow households to feed in excess generated energy for the community’s benefit. It can, of course, serve a number of purposes, including improving grid stability and earning money for the territory.
We are looking to waive registration fees for newly purchased zero emission vehicles for the first two years of registration. That begins in May this year. There is also a $50 million vulnerable household energy support initiative to improve building efficiency and sustainability for social and public housing, low income owner-occupiers and poorly performing rental properties to reduce energy bills and to make those houses more pleasant and livable for tenants.
MS ORR: Chief Minister, how will these policies help the ACT to reach a zero emissions future?
MR BARR: They are important next steps in the ACT’s endeavours to phase out fossil fuel use and achieve zero net emissions by 2045 at the latest. We have also been successful in reaching our 2020 renewable electricity goals of 100 per cent renewable electricity, and we have reduced net emissions by 40 per cent. The purpose here is to target the big emitting sectors, transport and gas use, whilst helping households with the transition.
We also know that the revolution in motoring is coming, and coming quicker than many people would think. Zero emission vehicles will be the only vehicles produced in many of the world’s major vehicle manufacturing plants by 2030. We are endeavouring to install 50 additional publicly accessible charging stations across Canberra over the coming years. With the availability of no-interest loans, the
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