Sam Lim (Tangney, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

When I recently met with the Melville City Climate Action Network, also known as MCCAN, the group's members shared with me the success of their ongoing campaign called Electrify Melville City. MCCAN is one of the many volunteer-run organisations in Tangney. It has a large and growing network of residents who reside in the City of Melville. The group's focus is on climate action, with a focus on the local community, much of it in my electorate of Tangney. The group's current campaign is working to electrify the local community, replacing appliances and cars with efficient electric versions, powered by renewable energy.

We spoke about the government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program, a program that has been incredibly popular in Tangney. Australians have installed more than 225,000 cheaper home batteries since the program started last July—less than a year. In Tangney, 2,371 cheaper home batteries have been installed. I'm very proud that Tangney is the leader in Western Australia for the take-up of this program. As part of their campaign, MCCAN members have embraced the Cheaper Home Batteries Program and they have helped to spread the news about this rebate to the local communities. As MCCAN said, 'We now can save money while saving the planet.' I've attended several MCCAN information events in their Electrify Melville City campaign and was proud to support the groups with a volunteer grant earlier this year. Last year alone, the group's grassroots campaign hosted 16 different events, including an expo attended by more than 150 householders. They also hosted information stalls across the city, including at popular local festivals, and a pop-up at the local library. I really applaud MCCAN's enthusiasm for wanting to electrify their local neighbourhoods.

Whenever we speak, the members talk to me with such great passion about how they have electrified their homes with heat pumps and using induction cooktops. At coffee catch-ups we have talked about electric cars, rooftop solar and, of course, the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. The program is part of our government's plan to create a fairer, cleaner and more reliable energy system for all Australians. It means unlocking the full potential of solar and tapping into the cheapest form of energy available.

I can say that this is a friendly network with lots of energy and a real enthusiasm and dedication to making sure our community takes climate action. From the attendance at their event, it is clear that people are interested in learning more. At these information sessions, MCCAN members shared their own experiences. Their enthusiasm spread from person to person. Their community education and information sessions have helped so many Tangney constituents understand more about electrifying their homes and about the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.

I'm very proud to have such great community advocates in my electorate of Tangney. I encourage Tangney locals living in Melville City to reach out to MCCAN if you have any questions at all. I want to thank MCCAN for helping inform our community about how our government is making home batteries cheaper for every household, small business and community organisation.

Robert also lives in Tangney. Robert was one of my first constituents to contact me asking for information about the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. He called my office not long after the announcement to let me know that he liked the idea and he wanted to learn more. When I visited Robert last September, he proudly showed me the battery he had installed as part of the program. He showed me the impact these changes have made on his power bills. I also want to share the conversation we had about how the use of the batteries and solar panels is helping him reduce his emissions.

Robert and I are both grandparents, and we spoke about how we both want to act for future generations, including our grandchildren. Robert is just one of the many constituents in Tangney who have reached out to me in support of this program. When I had my own battery installed a few months ago, my neighbours came out to see me. We shared a lot of information, and my neighbours commented on how much they appreciated this program and how easy it was to make the most of Australia's world-leading solar power.

Community organisations in Tangney are also looking to batteries to reduce their emissions and to reduce their power bills. Blue Gum Tennis Club has been in Tangney for more than 50 years. The club has 450 members, with 200 more in the neighbouring squash club and many more people around the whole community who hire the courts to play. Last year I made an election commitment to deliver solar panels and a battery for the club. I'm proud to say that the commitment is now progressing. The new system will dramatically reduce the club's costs and will also generate significant environmental benefits. The lower power costs will help the club keep membership fees and public hire fees at reasonable levels while improving the facilities of this longstanding club.

I also want to touch on the suburbs of Canning Vale and Willetton. From 1 July through to the end of last year there were 499 solar battery installations in this postcode alone, making it among the top 10 postcodes for battery installation in 2025. Tangney is home to so many small businesses that sell solar panels, systems and solar batteries. I had the opportunity to visit some of these local businesses, and they shared with me some of the reasons people in Tangney are installing more batteries, from reducing energy bills to feeling that they are doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint. I recently spoke with Empower Solar, one of the small businesses in Tangney, based in Canning Vale. They spoke to me about the take-up of the program across WA and Tangney and the popularity of this program, including in the suburbs of Willetton, Canning Vale and Bull Creek. It is great to see this program really take off in Tangney and to see so many of our community households powering their homes with solar energy and solar batteries.

Debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 13:26 to 15:59

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