Page 4610 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
its election commitments to build a better city, a stronger community and a more sustainable Canberra. The government has outlined and implemented already a broad range of measures designed to address the challenge of sustainability and climate change which our city faces. Of course, right now, this Assembly is debating legislation that will establish the leading greenhouse gas reduction targets for any state or territory—a 40 per cent reduction by the year 2020 and 80 per cent by the year 2050. It is truly a piece of legislation designed to make Canberra establish itself as a low-carbon city and a city that is an early adopter when it comes to sustainability measures, with all the economic advantage that flows from that.
Of course, I was surprised to see Mr Seselja trying to claim that 30 per cent was not going to come at a cost to Canberrans, but 40 per cent would. Anyone who believes that believes in the tooth fairy. Can he seriously claim that a reduction of 30 per cent can be delivered without some cost to the community but 40 per cent has overbearing costs? It is an absurd and simplistic position being presented by the Liberal Party and one that I think many people in Canberra are seeing through already.
The government is moving ahead with a range of important policy measures. The government has implemented its nation leading feed-in tariff, which is leveraging private capital to install renewable energy generation on roof tops across the city. In the first 18 months of its operation we have already seen close to six megawatts of generation capacity installed across the city, a very significant investment in renewable energy generation for our city. Of course, the government has announced significant expansions to that scheme, which the Assembly will be asked to consider in the coming months.
The government has implemented its election commitments to provide for improved energy efficiency assistance programs and rebates to Canberrans. The ACT-Smart suite of programs, which gives access to energy efficiency advice, orders and rebates for Canberra families and businesses, has been implemented and, indeed, there is over $19 million in investment in both energy efficiency and water efficiency programs for Canberrans.
We are also promoting the uptake of green energy, through the make the switch program. This has placed the ACT community as a leader in green power purchases across the country. The ACT government’s own operations are now being fuelled by 30 per cent green power and that will grow to 32.5 per cent in this financial year. So our own contribution to the purchase of green power is significant. But the government is very focused on assisting those people on low incomes, and a Labor government is very focused on ensuring that. (Time expired.)
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, a supplementary question?
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Following on from that, can the minister advise what further steps the government has announced that continue its reform agenda in tackling climate change and achieving a low carbon city for the future?
MR CORBELL: Again, Mr Speaker, in particular our focus is on low income Canberrans, Canberrans who struggle to make ends meet. The focus on delivery of
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video