Tuesday, 17 October 2023

 Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (14:51): I rise to update the house about how the Allan Labor government is not only building more homes for Victorians but making homes more comfortable to live in and cheaper to run through our $1.3 billion Solar Homes program; 260,000 households have already taken up a rebate through Solar Victoria, and we are not stopping there. Recently I announced a range of new expansions to the program and eligibility criteria. That means 10,000 more Victorian households each year will be eligible to get the rebate right across the state. We are doing this by increasing the household income threshold to $210,000, along with allowing early adopters with aging panels and those who have accessed a rebate previously to now get a further rebate and continue saving with solar if they have moved house. We are continuing to support renters also, announcing a $16 million partnership with the federal government to deliver solar to 5000 apartment dwellers over the next two years. Only Victoria offers a solar program for renters in Australia, and this new program for apartments will make solar more accessible.

This government’s housing statement has committed to building 800,000 new homes in the next decade, and we are making it easier for them, forever, to be able to electrify and go with solar. Expressions of interest are flooding in for our $10 million residential electrifications grants program, which will support the innovative mass installation of solar panels and heat pumps in newly built homes. We know that going all electric in a new home saves on average $1000 on your energy bill every year, and if you install solar, it will save you $2200 on your bills every year. Only Labor is delivering real cost-of-living relief – (Time expired)