Page 1558 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 17 May 1994
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The issue of free and fair trade in utilities and of access to energy markets is now the focus of working groups on utility reforms. These working groups report to the Council of Australian Governments and have largely taken over the function from the Australian and New Zealand Minerals and Energy Council.
The standing committee also recommended that incentives to convert to solar hot water systems be examined, such as capitals loans repayable through ACT rates. The energy management task force of the Australian and New Zealand Minerals and Energy Council has undertaken a project in Queensland to encourage householders to convert to solar hot water systems, through a funding package. ACTEW has made a pro rata contribution to this project and is monitoring its progress. ACT Electricity and Water also has a $150 cashback offer applying to the installation of off-peak electric-boosted solar hot water systems.
The provision of capital loans repayable through rates would advantage ratepayers but not necessarily all energy consumers. The recommendation could require capital funds to be made available at a time of restrained Government expenditure. In addition, the proposal would require a restructuring of the rates system, with considerable overheads associated with that restructuring. The Government supports the principle of incentive schemes, but not of the type suggested by the standing committee. Incentive schemes will be further examined once the results of the Queensland project are made available. The recommendation to establish a buyback rate for power sourced from businesses and households is supported in principle. However, such power generation would be small in quantity and irregular in output, thereby affecting the viability of a buyback rate. The Government will examine alternative benefit measures for small generators.
The standing committee made several recommendations in the area of energy efficient housing. These included sponsoring ecologically sustainable building practices, energy audit provisions, energy efficiency standards, retrofitting for energy efficiency, incentive schemes, and education on energy efficient housing. The ACT Government supports the majority of these recommendations and many have been implemented or extended beyond those of the standing committee's report.
Sustainable development issues have been addressed in the ACT Government's November 1993 report on progress towards the national strategy for ecologically sustainable development. This report was accepted by the Council of Australian Governments in December 1992 and has been released for the information of the ACT public. In the energy context, the ACT Government has been advancing the concept of environmentally sustainable architecture in conjunction with the ACT chapter of the Institute of Architects. This concept embraces design with materials which impose the least environmental impact in winning the materials and the least embodied energy costs once in place. In addition, the use of natural heating and ventilation, geothermal heat storage and layout may reduce the need for mechanical ventilation systems. These concepts will have significant impact on reducing future energy liabilities for the ACT.
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