Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

Every morning, the LNP wake up and think about how they're going to pick a fight with this government and other governments about decarbonisation and the energy performance agenda. But they are really just picking a fight with the Australian people, because I can tell you that, across the country, households and businesses recognise the value of technology that helps improve their energy performance, reduce emissions and save on bills. It's why Australia leads the world in the installation of rooftop solar panels, and energy performance technologies are the next step along that journey.

Our government doesn't want to pick a fight with the Australian people. Our government doesn't want to pick a fight with the future. We want to make every watt count. That's why this year's budget delivered a record $1.7 billion energy performance package to homes and to businesses. It delivers $1 billion to unlock lower-rate loans to over 110,000 households. It'll allow households to invest in energy upgrades such as battery-ready solar PV, double glazed windows and modern appliances. We're working with the states to deliver a $300 million matched fund to upgrade 60,000 social housing properties across the country, and we want businesses to share in the benefits and the savings as well. The $314 million small business energy incentive will allow up to 3.8 million eligible small businesses to invest in energy performance upgrades. From next year, councils will be able to access a $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund to upgrade the energy performance of local facilities like pools, libraries, sporting facilities and community centres. We are getting on with the job, delivering on our commitments and laying the foundations for a prosperous future for our country.