Madonna Jarrett (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Kooyong for raising this matter of public importance. It really does go to the heart of what the Labor government is doing in transforming our energy system. I note that there are elements of that transformation that the member for Kooyong has supported.

We know that one of the best ways to reduce vulnerability to high energy costs and to bring down costs overall for Australians, and also to build and protect sovereign capability in our energy system, is to invest in renewable energy. The Australian energy grid is undergoing a major transformation. This is vitally important, because not only will it deliver cheaper power to Australian households but also it will make us less reliant on foreign imports. This is backed up by the CSIRO, who also said that the cheapest form of energy is in renewables, and, on this side of the House, we'll listen to the scientists.

At the start of this month, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy announced that more than a quarter of a million households, small businesses and community organisations have installed bill-busting batteries. I don't call that a failure. This is part of the government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program. In fact, around half are also installing upgraded solar systems at the same time. When I look across the lovely rooftops of my electorate in Brisbane and see them glistening with solar panels, I think, it's no wonder—given we are the sunshine state.

Together, batteries installed under the program have now reached 6.3 gigawatt hours of storage. This milestone shows that Australians are embracing practical upgrades that cut power bills, make better use of rooftop solar and help build a cleaner and more reliable energy system. Home batteries help households store cheaper, cleaner energy, which is generated during the day and can be used during the evening, which is a peak period.

Again, contrary to what the member for Fowler said, the battery program is a huge success. It takes pressure off the grid, lowers reliance on expensive generation and puts downward pressure on prices for everyone. As more batteries, including community and grid-scale batteries, are installed across the country, they also help the grid manage demand more efficiently, improve system reliability and support the shift to a more renewable energy system. That's why I'm going to repeat what I've said in this House before. We need our community batteries in Newmarket and the Gap to help service my community of Brisbane. The LNP council needs to stop playing politics and give us the go-ahead.

Another program is our Solar Sharer Offer, the SSO. The SSO is an electricity standing offer that will provide households with the option of a daily window of free energy usage. The offer incentivises households to shift their energy use to periods of low-cost generation during the day, saving them money and delivering significant system-wide benefits that lower costs for all consumers.

On top of these programs, we've also delivered $150 energy rebates for all Australian households, because we recognise that Australians are doing it tough, and every little bit helps. This government has also approved our 100th renewable energy project, with recent figures revealing that renewable energy is now powering 51 per cent of the grid. The government is doing a lot. We're doing as much as we can. We need to do more, and I again acknowledge the various members of the crossbench who have supported a number of these reforms.

On this side of the House, we listen to the science and we act on it. We've acted to help with power bill relief, gas price caps and investment in cheap renewables, all of which those opposite have opposed. In fact, those opposite haven't had a coherent energy policy for the past decade. Does the $660 million nuclear option, which was rejected by the Australian people, ring any bells?

The world is shifting. Energy is not just about power; it's about security and about the future. We're entering a new era of energy sovereignty where power, in terms of both energy and geopolitics, increasingly comes from producing energy close to where it's used. Why? Because sovereign power reduces our geopolitical exposure and protects our economic and national security. Our government recognises this. We're investing to make it happen. We're investing in renewables, and it's good for our sovereign capability.

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