Page 3790 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 29 October 2014
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the implementation of the energy efficiency improvement scheme which is now operating in the territory and which is projected to save the average household approximately $4 per week in electricity consumption.
The EEIS establishes a territory-wide energy savings target and matches the energy savings obligations for our electricity retailers and has a particular emphasis on low income households that may be economically constrained from otherwise being able to act to save energy in their home. Of course, these are the households that are most impacted by any increase in utility prices and therefore the households that are most able to benefit from electricity from energy efficiency measures as long as they are supported and the costs are met to allow them to be implemented. Under the EEIS retailers are required to achieve 25 per cent of their total energy savings in so-called priority households, that is, low income households.
AP2 also tells us that we are unlikely to see a diminishment in the large electricity price advantage we maintain over all other jurisdictions as a result of the 90 per cent renewable energy target, including the 53 per cent price advantage we have over New South Wales household electricity consumers. And that is even after achieving our 2020 targets. It tells us that the economic impact of achieving our 2020 target by pursuing renewables, before energy efficiency benefits are taken into account, is equivalent to delaying the achievement of our business-usual output in 2050 by three months. That is right: it is the equivalent of a three-month delay over a 37-year period. And that is before you factor in the energy efficiency savings that are being delivered to households right now.
In May this year I announced the development of a climate change adaptation strategy for the ACT. This strategy is to deliver policy and actions that are responsive to the changing conditions of the region over time; that is, taking account of future projections in today’s decisions. The adaptation strategy is to consider adaptive and transformative pathways for the built and natural environments and will propose actions with measurable targets for the government, individuals, communities and businesses to be resilient to a change in climate. These are very important responses because we know that these changes are occurring right now.
The climate change adaptation strategy needs to be based on the most up-to-date science available. The government has partnered with the New South Wales government and climate science researchers at the University of New South Wales to model climate data at a scale useful for our region. This New South Wales and region climate model, or NARCliM as it is known, will provide the government with regional climate projections and data to assist in understanding local risks.
The ACT can be proud of the considerable action it is taking to respond to a changing climate. Today we are calling on the Australian government to follow the territory’s example. This is critical for our collective futures. (Time expired.)
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (4.39): I thank Ms Berry for bringing this very important motion to the Assembly today. It is an important topic about renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions. But I will say straight up that we will not be supporting this motion today. I think we need to take a close look at the motion for what it really is. Firstly, the wording of Ms Berry’s motion tries to tie Assembly
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