Ministers statements: renewable energy
Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (15:03): I am delighted to update the house on more good news on how our government’s renewable energy policies are delivering jobs and investment and lowering energy bills for all Victorians. When we first came to government in 2014, renewables made up less than 10 per cent of our generation, and investment had ground to a halt. Today the state is the state of choice for investment in clean energy. We have turned Victoria from a laggard, at just 10 per cent power from renewables in 2014, into Australia’s leader on clean energy, with a third of our electricity coming from renewables. And the facts speak for themselves: 24 000 jobs created from our 50 per cent renewable energy target; more than a quarter of a million homes having improved energy efficiency through our Victorian Energy Upgrades program, saving an average of $110 on energy bills each year; 4000 jobs supported by our household energy efficiency package. More than 778 000 households will have solar panels, solar hot water or batteries by 2030, saving even more on their bills. Is it any wonder that Victoria is the home of more renewable energy jobs than any other state? And we have the lowest wholesale power prices in the country and the lowest retail prices in Victoria in more than four years, putting money back into the pockets of hardworking Victorians.
Just 10 months ago the now Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change said in this very house that she was very pleased with her leader’s planning decisions on wind energy. These were the most draconian planning laws in the world, causing not one new project being built in this state in their term of government. It just shows that nothing has changed. Nothing has changed in 10 months, nothing has changed in 10 years, where there is more of the same from those opposite. That is not our way. We are the nation’s powerhouse of renewable energy jobs, and we will keep it that way with our strong and ambitious plans.