Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Independent Pods is a Geelong business that employs 18 people. They make polystyrene blocks for house insulation. They have written to my office asking a very simple question: how can small business survive? They've detailed that their energy bill has increased by 117 per cent. From the start of May to the end of May this year, Independent Pods were charged almost $19,500. They told me that a year ago, in May 2017, their energy bill was just $8,500. The director of Independent Pods, Ross MacDonald, said:

Independent Pods is a relatively new business … looking at expanding its production and as a result its employment opportunities. However the drastic rise in electricity costs (virtually doubled from 12 months ago) provides us with significant challenges to absorb such a cost increase and remain sustainable and compromises our ability to invest in our growth.

The property manager for Ross's business is Patrick Rowan. He says:

These prices of electricity—some businesses are going to be unsustainable and jobs are going to disappear because of it—it's going to impact our economy.

Winchester, another company in Moolap, have seen a 217 per cent rise in monthly energy bills within a year. They employ 66 workers. I was at Winchester back in March talking to them about the skyrocketing costs of energy for their business.

We already know that the Turnbull government's National Energy Guarantee is grossly inadequate. Malcolm Turnbull's 26 per cent emissions target plan will lead to a collapse in renewable energy investment. It will cost thousands of renewable energy jobs and it will stifle the inevitable transition to renewable energy which is already underway. That is the legacy the Turnbull government has left to the people of Geelong over the last five years. What Australian households and businesses need to reduce power bills, to reduce pollution and to have energy security is investment in renewables, which will only be driven by Labor's commitment to a 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.

A report released this year by electricity sector experts RepuTex confirms that the government's 26 per cent emissions target under the NEG will have 'a negligible impact in driving any new renewables investment', whereas a 45 per cent emission reduction target would drive renewable energy investment up to 50 per cent of generation by 2030.

Only Labor is committed to a 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030. Only Labor will move to restore certainty to the large-scale renewable energy industry. Only a Shorten Labor government will work with industry, unions and other stakeholders to develop a plan for the orderly transition to renewables. Only Labor will look after the workers and communities affected by the modernisation of our electricity generation system. More renewable energy leads to lower prices for consumers and for small businesses.

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