Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Reconciliation and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Climate change is definitely the topic on our minds in this House tonight, and I follow on from the comments of the previous member, the member for La Trobe, simply to say that resolute and much needed action on climate change is the key imperative for the Howard government. I am pleased to be able to make note of two extremely important initiatives that are taking place in the seat of Kingsford Smith. This happens at a time when the imminent release of the Stern report will show very clearly that the economic consequences of us not seriously and realistically addressing climate change mean that we face the prospect of a recession on the scale of that of the thirties. This is on the minds of the communities of Kingsford Smith. In particular, I want to note the lead that has been taken by the Maroubra Junction Uniting Church, with their project called Project Green Church. This is the Maroubra Uniting Church’s initiative towards environmental sustainability. The church will become one of the first churches in New South Wales to switch to 100 per cent renewable energy.

Earlier this month the Uniting Church’s state wide meeting voted to endorse the Project Green Church plan for renewable energy right across New South Wales. Congregations joining Project Green Church will sign up to the green power program—and I know congregations will be very keen to do that. Maroubra Junction Uniting Church has agreed to switch over to 100 per cent green power. If every Uniting Church in the New South Wales synod switched to green power, greenhouse gases would be cut by 4,500 tonnes, the equivalent of taking 1,000 cars off the road for a year. I want to applaud the initiative taken by the Maroubra Junction Uniting Church and encourage other churches, both in Kingsford Smith and further afield, to take that initiative.

Randwick City Council has again taken an important initiative in relation to addressing climate change. Randwick City Council has announced a proposal to establish a voluntary and simple form of emissions trading between local councils in New South Wales. Local councils are signatories to the Cities for Climate Protection program and Randwick City Council aims to build on the work it is already doing in reducing emissions further. It is doing what other levels of government talk about—that is, it is initiating a carbon emissions trading scheme.

The council will invite local councils to register their interest in an emissions trading scheme. They will work with environmental consultants, academic organisations and the community. The scheme will be voluntary and it will build on the efforts already underway, which I will detail in a minute, but particularly the aim is to see whether a small-scale, workable and voluntary trading scheme based on greenhouse gas emissions from council can actually be instituted. I applaud Randwick City Council for taking leadership on this issue. When leadership is so missing at the federal level, it is of great comfort to me and to the constituents of Kingsford Smith to know that our local council is prepared to take such a step.

This builds on the already important work that they have done on water savings. Late in 2005, the council adopted a 20 per cent reduction target for water consumption and energy consumption at council sites. Four million litres of town water has been saved in less than 12 months through a 315,000-litre stormwater re-use system at the council’s new green-waste recycling centre at Port Botany, making this facility 90 per cent self-sufficient in its water needs. A tender just approved to construct a 140,000-litre underground stormwater re-use system at council’s community nursery at Kingsford will save more than a million litres of town water per annum when it is finished by January 2007. These are really important and significant initiatives and they are resulting in effective and measurable savings in terms of water efficiency.

On energy, there was a distribution of 55,000 energy efficient globes, free of charge, to Randwick residents over the latter part of 2005, saving an estimated 25,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas, equivalent to taking more than 5,000 cars off the road and saving residents approximately $2.4 million on their energy bills. As well, Randwick City Council is currently rolling out a home energy makeover where residents take an easy household energy pledge to receive a free home energy audit and become eligible to receive cash incentives for some householders to install their own energy saving devices—solar hot water, solar panels and home insulation. Council has increased its Green Power from one per cent to 10 per cent in its three highest use buildings and with Jackgreen Energy is providing 10 per cent free Green Power to Randwick residents. If Randwick City Council can take this level of initiative, if it can bring these kinds of programs to the people of Kingsford Smith, why can’t the federal government do something about climate change?