Page 1251 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 11 April 2018
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Finally, I would also like to encourage ACT residents to shop around and compare different energy providers and plans. We do have competition in our energy retail market here in the ACT. While it can be complicated to compare plans, and they do change from time to time, it is worth doing. For example, at the time of speaking, the difference in the solar feed-in tariff between Origin Energy and ActewAGL is 4c per kilowatt. So it is worth looking at.
I note this is the second time that the environment spokesperson for the Liberals has risen and not addressed the substantial matter in a motion that deals with virtual power plants. She wanted to talk about anything but virtual power plants, and I think that is a real shame. This is a very important policy and it does relate directly to meeting the commonwealth government’s proposed national energy guarantee as well. Perhaps she did not want to speak about it because this is occurring at a time when the Liberals are threatening to dismantle the renewable energy programs in South Australia that support the most vulnerable people in their community.
The ACT can show leadership by sharing the benefits of renewable energy investment with vulnerable Canberrans, by expanding our virtual power plant trial, harnessing clean energy from the roofs of households, businesses and government assets, supporting innovation in the local renewable energy sector here and powering our city into the future.
I would like to thank my Labor colleague Suzanne Orr for bringing this motion forward, which continues the ACT government’s responsible approach and innovative steps to managing climate change and our environment.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Urban Renewal) (12.25): I will make a few brief comments on Ms Orr’s motion. As a Labor environment minister, I follow a long and proud tradition of those that have come before me, both here in the territory and around Australia. It has been under Labor governments that significant action to protect the environment has occurred. One has only to look at the Hawke and Keating Labor governments and consider the Franklin River and Antarctica. And it was the Rudd and Gillard governments that took significant steps towards a low carbon future for this country and enacted the largest marine parks in the world.
At a time when action is needed at all levels of government to combat dangerous global warming, it is the Labor states and territories that are driving efforts to limit greenhouse gas pollution and increase renewable energy generation. Victoria is recognised as a leader in climate adaption. It is aiming for 40 per cent renewable energy by 2025, and it is the first jurisdiction to enact a target of net zero emissions by 2050. Queensland is fast on its way to being the solar state of Australia, and it is likely to achieve its target of 50 per cent renewable generation by 2050. Of course, the Queensland government is battling hard to protect the Great Barrier Reef from the harm that a warming ocean is causing. Our colleagues in the Northern Territory and Western Australia are also exploring how they can step up action on climate change.
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