Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By all accounts the coming Australian summer will be longer, hotter and drier than any in living memory. In recent times, running through Sherbrooke Forest, an area in which I have lived nearly all my life, I could not believe how dry the forest is at this point in time. When we look at our newspapers of the past weeks, we see that our rivers are running dry, the earth is being cooked and there is barren dust. Hopefully this is not an imminent climatic apocalypse. I believe that whatever your position on climate change, these images should be a reminder to both sceptic and believer alike—and I am a believer—of why we must continue apace towards making alternative energy sources, in particular solar power, a larger part of our energy mix.

Solar power is unique among energy sources. Unlike wind power, photovoltaic technology is silent, motionless and, when installed on rooftops, can be virtually invisible. Unlike nuclear power, its only by-product is greenhouse-friendly, clean electricity. Unlike coal fired power, solar power can be both produced and consumed locally, at source. Moreover, Australia’s climatic conditions make much of the continent a ready-made solar power plant. Australia has more solar energy than anywhere else in the world—on average, around 1,700 kilowatts of solar energy per square metre.

Germany is currently world leader in the uptake of PV technology. In Germany today over 30,000 people are employed in the production, sale, planning and installation of PV systems, and the industry achieves a yearly turnover exceeding €3 billion. Given the benefits of solar power and Australia’s climatic conditions, I believe that Australia has a wonderful opportunity to become a world leader in this field. Its growth in Australia would benefit the environment, the economy and consumers.

I am pleased to say that the Australian government is implementing a range of measures towards ensuring that this occurs. The Adelaide Solar City proposal, announced in August, will install solar panels in more than 1,700 homes in north Adelaide, roll out 7,000 smart meters and help people save around $200 a year on their electricity bills by changing energy use and adapting energy efficiency measures. This will double the current capacity of solar photovoltaic panels in South Australia, provide energy savings of $5 million per year and, importantly, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30,000 tonnes per year—and that is what the important element is: the amount of emissions that are reduced. Through the Photovoltaic Rebate Program, the Australian government also provides assistance to householders and owners of community buildings, such as schools, to install photovoltaic systems. The government has committed $11.4 million over the two years to June 2007 to extend this to smaller manufacturers, distributors and installers of PV systems.

On 18 October, the Minister for the Environment and Heritage announced that BP Solar Australia, the largest manufacturer of solar panels in the Southern Hemisphere, had formed a joint venture with a Chinese company to provide PV technology to China’s expanding energy market. China’s domestic PV market is planned to grow from 20 megawatts in 2005 to 10,000 megawatts by 2020. The BP SunOasis venture is a great example of how Australia can export its renewable technologies to world markets.

Last Wednesday the Treasurer and the Minister for the Environment and Heritage announced the first of two major government projects under the $500 million Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund. One grant of $75 million was made to a $420 million project for a large-scale solar concentrator in regional Victoria. The project is to be built by Solar Systems. It will be commenced in 2008 and finished by 2013.

I also believe that the government should offer rebates of $3,500 for the installation of solar hot water services to first home buyers. Water heating accounts for about one-third of household energy use, and I believe this would be a great initiative by this government— (Time expired)