Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Longman for his question. The Australian government is committed to helping our schools take practical, concrete action to tackle climate change and to conserve precious water supplies. I am pleased to inform the House that from 1 July this year the government will roll out its commitments to make every one of Australia’s schools, public and private, a solar school. Under the Australian government’s $489 million National Solar Schools Program, every school in Australia will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $50,000 to install skylights, shade awnings and solar panels, in addition to rainwater tanks and solar hot water systems. This new program represents an additional $153 million on top of the existing green vouchers program. I have to say that it is far more flexible than the previous government’s program.

Under Labor’s plan, schools can choose the most effective way to meet their energy and water efficiency goals, but we are giving schools the option to participate in the existing green vouchers program or wait until Solar Schools is rolled out on 1 July this year. It is clear that many schools are choosing to wait for the more flexible and comprehensive National Solar Schools Program. I note that the member for Flinders, who regrettably is now absent from the chamber—a practice that other members, including the member for Mayo, seem to have undertaken—has been getting quite excited about the transition to Solar Schools. He accused the government of all manner of sins, of wasting water and electricity. He was quoted in the Melbourne Age on 28 December saying, ‘Potentially thousands of projects are now on hold.’ I want to assure the House, in the absence of the member for Flinders, that no projects are now on hold. The government has set a very clear transition timetable for the National Solar Schools Program.

Given the claim of the member for Flinders about projects being potentially on hold, I want to update the House briefly on the progress of the previous government’s program. There was a time last year when one of the most common sights in Australian schools was the member for Wentworth brandishing novelty green vouchers left, right and centre. You can find the paper trail on the member’s own website—a $50,000 voucher at a Far North Queensland school on 3 August, another voucher for a Brisbane school on 23 August, schools in Randwick, schools in Bondi, Rose Bay and Double Bay.

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