Page 3184 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
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In terms of price, we have seen a significant increase in gas prices in recent years, as a result of the eastern seaboard of Australia essentially being in an export market and our price now being pegged by international rather than domestic factors. As modern electric heating appliances like reverse cycle air conditioners and the like are far more efficient than older devices, it can be economical for a household to make the transition and they do so of their own accord. One of the key savings is not having to pay a gas connection fee every year. Immediately that means several hundred dollars of savings, let alone the other parts of it. It is still the case that it is a matter for each household to assess, but I expect that equation to continue to change over time.
A focus of the government’s energy efficiency and improvement scheme is to overcome one of the barriers for people by helping with the initial upfront capital cost of the transition. The government will continue to make the case to the community as to why the equation between gas and electricity has changed; why electricity can now be much more beneficial from both an environmental and an economic point of view. I expect to see an acceleration in the uptake of all electric options.
The setup at Ginninderry has been illustrative of what is possible. That has been led by the developers of Ginninderry, who have done the equation for their future residents and ascertained what is best for not only the environment but also the residents. They are leading the charge in that space.
This is a policy discussion that we will need to continue to have with the community. There is a significant education piece there, because for so long we have been told a different story. But with changing times and the changing challenges ahead of us we need to think about different policy responses.
I am pleased to talk about the energy efficiency improvement scheme for which there is funding in this budget. Minister Berry in her remarks talked about the additional funding for the changeover of devices and the provision of new devices for households in public housing so that they can have both a more comfortable life and a more cost-effective life in their residences. The energy efficiency improvement scheme is part of that. As I flagged when I introduced the legislation last week to continue that scheme for another 10 years, public housing and low-income households are a really important part of that scheme. We need to address not only environmental issues but also issues of energy poverty. The scheme has been extremely effective in beginning that task and it is a task that we must continue to focus on.
There are many other areas that I could talk about in this portfolio space, and I would be happy to do that at some length, but, subject to members raising additional items, the last thing I will touch on is a matter of energy policy. The ACT continues to be very clear in its thinking about energy policy and in consulting with the community. I was very pleased that the new climate strategy which we will release shortly has had significant community engagement. I will talk more about that when we launch the strategy, but I am very grateful to the many people who participated in that, to varying degrees, some in great depth, some were simply providing some ideas or raising concerns they had. But it was a very significant engagement and I am pleased that people see it as such an important discussion area. Our energy policy in the ACT will continue to be shaped by that community input.
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