Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Electricity infrastructure

Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (18:57): (1306) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Energy and Resources, and the action that I am seeking is for her to overturn Energy Safe Victoria’s decision to reject the recommendation of the Electric Line Clearance Consultative Committee that branches in low-risk areas only be pruned 30 centimetres instead of 1 metre. This recommendation, which was overwhelmingly endorsed by the government’s own expert panel, would have delivered more than $1 billion in tree canopy value to Victorians in both regional and urban areas at no cost to taxpayers. Similar changes have been proven by practices in South Australia for over 40 years and more recently adopted in New South Wales.

Rapid urban development projects like the ones we are seeing around my home town of Geelong are turning parts of our city into heat islands. Backyards have shrunk, tree cover has disappeared and commonly used buildings are absorbing and radiating heat. A study by the RMIT sustainability and urban planning program found that removing tree canopy cover can make cities 4 to 10°degrees hotter than surrounding areas. Trees have been shown to reduce the urban heat island effect by as much as 7 degrees Celsius, mostly by shading hard surfaces but also through transpiration and evaporation. Trees not only provide shade; they retain moisture in the environment, improve the mental and physical health of the community and decrease energy use. The more tree cover you have, the cooler a place will be. Air quality improves. Costs are lowered for households who would normally have to rely on air conditioning to manage thermal comfort. Mature trees directly contribute to carbon sequestration, reducing water run-off, erosion and flooding. They increase property values and reduce skin cancer risk by shading walkways, especially to schools and workplaces. In other words, they are a true all-rounder when it comes to tackling climate change.

Veteran firefighters have also rejected suggestions that the policy would increase bushfire risk, stating that the damage inflicted on these trees under current legislation weakens them, making them more flammable and likely to lose their branches. Hot weather in Australia kills more people than bushfires, cyclones and other natural disasters combined, and those with pre-existing health conditions are more likely to suffer when living in these so-called heat islands. In the current cost-of-living crisis there will likely be more sick people calling ambulances because they cannot afford to keep their air conditioning running this summer. Labor should be doing everything they can to expand our urban tree canopy, and I would urge the minister to take on board the expert advice and reverse this decision.