Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I have with me a submission from the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group. They would like this submission to be taken by our Prime Minister and representatives of this parliament who will be attending the Paris climate conference. I would just like to take a few moments to outline what they believe should be Australia's approach at this conference.

The Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group are calling for a more robust approach to Australia's strategic plan to tackle climate change. They believe that we need to rapidly transition to a clean, green economy as soon as possible. Australia's targets should be the world's best. They are calling for the targets to be lifted and for us to set ourselves an ambitious goal. The Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group believe our current targets as a nation are disappointing and they are calling on the federal government at the very least to heed the advice of the Climate Change Authority and to adopt emission-reducing targets of between 40 to 60 per cent on year 2000 levels by 2030. They are also calling for a 30 per cent reduction target by 2025, that these goals be taken to Paris and for there to be a price on carbon through an emissions trading scheme. The Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group are calling for there to be an effective plan that is developed and implemented that focuses on renewable energy generation and sets standards and targets in line with world's best practice. They are also calling for cross-party representation to represent all political views and values at Paris. The Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group are calling for there to be real action on climate change. They are arguing that climate change is a moral issue and that the government needs to step up and acknowledge that there is a moral imperative on which to tackle climate change.

This particular submission that this group has put together goes on, has quite some detail and steps out a plan for this government. They are profoundly disappointed with this government's lack of action on climate change and believe that they have been dragging their feet on this area. The Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group are incredibly involved in their local community. They have a number of renewable energy projects on the go and should be congratulated for the way in which they have engaged their local community in these projects; whether it be their plans to build a community wind park or their solar panel projects. This is a group that we should be supporting and I encourage the government to take this submission to Paris and adopt it as Australia's position at the Paris conference next week.