The Climate Solutions Packapooticket
Whenever government Ministers are asked to expand on how we will achieve our emissions reduction targets beyond the “meet and beat” catchphrase, they bring up the $3.5 billion grandiosely named “Climate Solutions Package”.
So let’s unpack that packapooticket.
“The Government will provide $3.5 billion over 15 years from 2018-19 for a Climate Solutions Package to deliver on Australia’s 2030 climate commitments.”
Ummm… that takes us out to 2032-33 with only $233.3 million on average spent each year.
But wait… that’s actually “$2.0 billion over 15 years from 2019-20, including $189.1 million over four years to 2022-23, to establish a Climate Solutions Fund that will allow for expanded investments in low-cost abatement currently underway through the Emissions Reduction Fund.”
To put that in perspective, the government spent $185 million reopening the Christmas Island detention centre in a hissy fit after the Medevac bill passed. Then they closed it. Then they reopened it to house that enormous risk to security, the family from Biloela, costing a further $30 million to house four people, two of whom are little girls.
The government also plans to spend “up to $1.38 billion in equity over six years from 2019-20, to support the delivery of the Snowy 2.0 project, subject to Snowy Hydro Limited (SHL) achieving financial close on the project and the commencement of the main project works, expected in 2020.”
When this project was first announced, Snowy 2.0 was to cost $2 billion, be completed in 4 years, entirely funded by Snowy Hydro Ltd. Two years later, Prime Minister Morrison announced Government approval of the Business Case, at an estimated cost of $3.8 billion (with an upper limit of $4.5 billion): “following Snowy Hydro Board’s final investment decision on 12 December 2018, the Government has reviewed the project’s business case and is satisfied that the project stacks up” – so much so that the government will now be kicking in $1.38 billion.
Snowy Hydro hasn’t released its (partial) Business Case, claiming it contains commercially sensitive information. Nor has any financial information been provided – quelle surprise.
The National Parks Association of NSW has released an extensive paper showing why this project doesn’t stack up.
We are also paying a lot for oversight of the project.
“$5.5 million over four years from 2019-20 (and $0.8 million per year ongoing) to the Department of the Environment and Energy, and $4.3 million over four years from 2019-20 (and $0.7 million per year ongoing) to the Department of Finance, to support Commonwealth oversight of SHL and the Snowy 2.0 project.”
Moving on, the government will provide “$61.2 million over four years from 2019-20 to establish the Energy Efficient Communities Program, which will provide grants to businesses and community organisations to improve energy efficiency practices and technologies to better manage energy consumption” and a further “$18.0 million over six years from 2019-20 for households and businesses to improve energy efficiency and lower energy bills.”
Well, that’s great, if you forget about all the similar programs that the Coalition government have axed, like the one million more solar roofs across Australia and at least 25 solar towns, the Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund, the National Low Emission Coal Initiative, Energy Efficiency Programmes, the National Solar Schools Plan, Energy Efficiency Information Grants and Low Carbon Communities. They also tried to get rid of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and were successful in reducing the Renewable Energy Target (RET).
The government also budgeted “$56.0 million in 2018-19 for a feasibility study to accelerate the delivery of Marinus Link, a second interconnector between Tasmania and the mainland, to unlock pumped hydro storage potential in Tasmania and provide more affordable and reliable electricity for homes and businesses.”
However, a feasibility study into the project released in February last year, funded by a $10 million grant by federal government agency ARENA, warned that the costs will probably outweigh the project’s benefits unless about 7000 megawatts of coal-fired generation capacity in the east coast electricity market is prematurely retired.
This rate of closure assumes Australia adopts a target to cut emissions by 52 per cent by 2030, based on 2005 levels – far higher than the government’s 26 per cent target.
The last part of their “Climate Solutions” is to provide “$0.4 million in 2019-20 to develop a National Electric Vehicle Strategy to ensure a planned and managed transition to new vehicle technology and infrastructure.”
Which is rather at odds with Scotty’s impassioned opposition to the Labor party’s support for electric vehicles when he said in April last year that electric vehicles were unaffordable and were “not going to tow your trailer. It’s not going to tow your boat … Bill Shorten wants to end the weekend when it comes to his policy on electric vehicles.”
It’s also less than the $530,000 Bridget McKenzie spent fitting out her new office in Wodonga.
On this most important of issues, the greatest threat to our nation, the government is having as much impact as a ping pong ball bouncing around from one announceable to the next.
Our very survival depends on turfing these self-serving incompetents and replacing them with a government who recognises the risks we are facing and is willing to act to mitigate the worst of the catastrophe that awaits us if we fail to act decisively like yesterday.
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12 comments
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Harry Lime
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David Evans
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David Stakes
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iggy648
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Phil Pryor
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wam
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Kate Ahearne
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Kaye Lee
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pierre wilkinson
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Socrates.
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Leep
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Terence Mills
Return to home pageWith all the ammunition provided by the corrupt and inept Liars Party,Labor had better start shredding these bastards from day one when Parliament resumes next month.Hope for the best,expect the worst.
Ya gotta admit though Kaye, there has been some great photo ops in that list!….That seems to have been the main priority of this rabble over the last 6-7-8 years.
Pea and thimble trickery with no pea.
Every day in every way, I thank the good lord for letting me discover Kaye Lee. Unbelievably brilliant. I cannot even imagine how she keeps tabs on all these assholes and their doings. Keep up the good work!
Political perverts,piggies, pustules, phlegm, that is the contents of a hidden report on this rotten, odious government. We need some office juniors and apprentices, some oppos and marginal people with insight, feelings, plans, to easily outdo this Great Pot of Conservative Turdery.
Well said, kaye.
Unfortunately such figures allow smirko’s mob through silly sam, karl baby and rupert, to cause confusion.
Right up to the level of ‘f*ck I am sick of these left wing idiots and their brats.’.
But the pressure is rising with nt news breaking ranks and support at 2009 levels(what a wasted decade boobby and now same bloke and another 3 yeats)
Your
“We are also paying a lot for oversight of the project.’
has been the norm since little johnnie’s ‘privatise and pay pay pay’. Haven’t we been paying since? Twiggy’s indue is the dream of every business ceo with a finger up the lnp orifice. This snowy scheme is typical forget the concept of letting water into south australia by lifting it back up the mountains, Put in a low quote of a couple of billion for the media with the knowledge that the gov will come good with rest so profit is assured.
ps
One of my favourite films was Fiddler on the roof in one section Perchik proposes to Hodel, and he reveals
‘everything is political.
This government has gone further using their favourite trilogy format.
For this mob everything is”
hidden by commercial in conference
protected by security concerns
twisted into disingenuous slop by lies and bullshit.
ps
where the bloody hell are you, Albo??
Let the morning shows ask your questions???
pps
looks like the idaho potato growers have convinced trump that obama’s healthy school menu is too expensive so fries are back.
Thanks Kaye. Wonderful! I think this is my favourite bit… ‘The last part of their “Climate Solutions” is to provide “$0.4 million in 2019-20 to develop a National Electric Vehicle Strategy to ensure a planned and managed transition to new vehicle technology and infrastructure.”…. less than the $530,000 Bridget McKenzie spent fitting out her new office in Wodonga.’ Hey, is that the same Bridget McKenzie who …..?’
It’s the same Bridget McKenzie whose own Nationals Party colleague said in October, well before Sportsgate, that it was a “waste of time” contacting Senator McKenzie because she “never gets back to you”, while another said she “couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery”. Another said “We are facing one of our biggest tests of government in this drought. It has the potential to be a national disaster and needs our top minds in those positions of drought, water and agriculture. And right now, agriculture is the hot seat and we need her to do a better job.”
Apparently they are concerned about being seen to sack one of the endangered species – “a woman”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-21/mckenzie-under-pressure-from-national-backbenchers/11624076
have to agree with Iggy
wonderful work Kaye
hey Albo….lbo….bo….o….
where are you… ou…. u ?
we need a federal ICAC and we should demand that we get one
meanwhile, Jackson, Cash, Joyce, Robert, Taylor, Dutton….
ffs is there any of them not under some sort of cloudy investigation for rorts and corruption,
if not abject incompetence and collusion
We understand they have wimped out on their franking legislation when the$ billions garnered could have paid for the necessaries to avoid this years bushfires and costs. No, I know it is already too late, but think on the implications of the back flip.
Why do they need to continue logging for wood chips in ALP states also, when habitat has suddenly shrunk so drastically?
Seems to me reasonable calm and logical argument don’t get much traction which seem to be labors forte where as Liberal spokesperson Or Hanson seem to have the fire and brimstone of a born again Christian pulpit fanatic which get the people fired up and ready to do anything for their cause which maybe complete BS I guess logical debate always loses against inflamed rhetoric, but I wish labor spokespeople would have some of that as well.
Will the findings of the Drought Envoy ever be released ? They could hold the solution to our problems
…………or not