Page 1390 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 24 March 2010
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advice to Canberrans. Of course, Mr Speaker, we have to remember that the Liberals’ big idea when it came to energy efficiency was a mass rollout of insulation in Canberra homes, eerily similar to the program that they had been so robust in criticism of delivered at a national level. The programs that the ACT government—
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
MR CORBELL: Mrs Dunne does not like that point. She hates being reminded—
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
MR CORBELL: There is at least one similarity between her and Peter Garrett. The ACT government’s energy efficiency programs include the ACT energy wise audits, the home energy advice team and the asthma monitoring awareness campaign. Since 2008, the heat team has handled more than 11,000 inquiries from members of the public, while there have been more than 1,300 ACT energy wise visits over that time. Another very successful program is the WEST program—the water and energy savings in the territory program—which is a multi-agency partnership focused on assisting low income households to improve energy and water efficiency and reduce the costs of those utilities to low income households.
We are also continuing with the CitySwitch Green Office initiative, which I was pleased to inaugurate last year, which provides advice and strategies for tenants of office buildings on how they can reduce their energy use. In schools we are implementing the AuSSI initiative, in partnership with the commonwealth, to see more than 100 schools across the ACT sign up to energy and indeed water efficiency measures.
Shortly I will be announcing the successful recipients of grants to community groups to improve their energy efficiency and to install energy efficient technologies. Those grants are worth up to $40,000 each. The government is undertaking a broad range of programs to improve energy efficiency in Canberra homes, in Canberra businesses, in Canberra schools and in the non-government and community sector. We have a strong record and a proud record of investing in energy efficiency. You can see from that brief summary, Mr Speaker, that it is across the board. We will continue to implement this progressive program of reform to reduce energy costs to Canberrans and improve energy efficiency in our city.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, a supplementary?
MR HARGREAVES: Yes.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves has the floor.
MR HARGREAVES: Can the minister provide more specific information about the new monergy campaign, and is there agreement with the Greens on this one?
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