The Labor Party’s Powering Australia Plan, released last week, aims to create jobs, keep power prices low for families and boost the renewable energy sector, with regions like the Central Coast the big winners, says Member for Dobell, Emma McBride.
McBride said the plan will reduce power bills for families and businesses on the Coast by up to $275 per year and create 600,000 jobs nationwide, while reducing emissions by 43 per cent by 2030.
“This is a plan that’s good for businesses, it’s good for families, it’s good for our environment, and it’s good for the economy,” she said.
“Businesses on the Coast have been struggling for nearly a decade because of the uncertainty around energy policy.
“Coasties deserve to know what their future holds; they deserve to have new job opportunities and they deserve cheaper low-emissions technology.
“Every major economy in the world is moving toward renewables, so we need to seize this opportunity and invest in our renewable energy sector.”
The Plan, which Labor Leader Anthony Albanese has delivered as one of his major commitments ahead of a Federal election early next year, has been praised by the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) which has welcomed the news that a Labor Government will commit to a net zero Australian Public Service (APS) by 2030.
CPSU National Secretary, Melissa Donnelly, said the public service is one of the 50 biggest emitters in the nation and taking action to get to net zero by 2030 makes a material difference to meeting national goals and international obligations.
“The next parliament must show leadership on climate change and, as a major employer, the Federal Government can do that by setting the standard for best practice in net zero operational emissions,” she said.
“The solutions already exist; it is possible to achieve net zero by using existing technology and emissions-reductions solutions.”
Despite some criticisms that the Plan doesn’t go far enough, Albanese said it would prioritise growth and investment for the regions, with five out of every six new jobs to be created there.
Major commitments in the Plan include: upgrading the electricity grid to fix energy transmission and drive down power prices; making electric vehicles cheaper with an electric car discount and Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Strategy; allocating up to $3B from Labor’s National Reconstruction Fund to invest in green metals (steel, alumina and aluminium); clean energy component manufacturing; hydrogen electrolysers and fuel switching; agricultural methane reduction and waste reduction; providing financial support for measures that improve energy efficiency within existing industries and developing new industries in regional Australia through a new Powering the Regions Fund; rolling out 85 solar banks around Australia to ensure more households can benefit from rooftop solar; installing 400 community batteries across the country; investing in 10,000 New Energy Apprentices and a New Energy Skills Program; and working with large businesses to provide greater transparency on their climate related risks and opportunities.
The Plan would also see the restoration of the Climate Change Authority.
Terry Collins