Wednesday, 9 February 2022

Ministers statements: energy policy

Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (14:25): I am absolutely delighted to update the house on how this government is slashing Victorian families’ power bills. The average cost that Victorian families pay for power has fallen by nearly 10 per cent over the last 12 months and is now at the lowest level in five years. Small businesses are also paying less, with a 12 per cent reduction in 2021. This is an outstanding turnaround when you consider how badly consumers were being ripped off under the previous government, with prices skyrocketing by nearly 35 per cent in just four years and gas and electricity disconnections doubling. This left vulnerable Victorians without power and heating because they simply could not afford to pay for the opposition’s negligence.

When we came to government we vowed to fix this mess, and that is exactly what we are doing. Our Victorian renewable energy target has delivered 4000 megawatts of new clean capacity, and 10 new renewable energy projects are currently under construction, including of course solar panels on every household roof through our Solar Homes program—$1.3 billion. The Australian Energy Market Commission reports and expects Victorian power prices will fall another 8 per cent over the next three years thanks to our ‘significant influx of new renewable capacity’. Our home heating and cooling program is also reducing energy bills whilst keeping people comfortable in the summer and in the winter.

There is more that we can say. We introduced a Victorian default offer, a fair price for all consumers, with the ACCC saying that it is a significant factor in reducing retail margins. It is no wonder that the rest of the country follows our lead. We are putting money back in the pockets of all Victorian families and businesses, creating jobs whilst driving down emissions to improve their quality of life.