Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Milne, I move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes that:

     (i)   solar hot water is among the most cost-effective way to reduce householders’ power bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions,

     (ii)   the Australian solar water heating industry employs more than 1 000 people in manufacturing and many more in installation around the country, and is beginning to develop as an export industry, and

     (iii)   the Australian solar water heating industry is already under pressure from the high Australian dollar, low renewable energy certificate prices and imports of instantaneous gas hot water systems; and

  (b)   calls on the Government to:

     (i)   immediately reinstate and extend the Renewable Energy Bonus Scheme which has helped a quarter of a million Australians to reduce their power bills and which has supported the development of a clean manufacturing and installation industry, and

     (ii)   release information about the extent to which the scheme’s forecast expenditure will exceed actual spending in the 2011 12 and 2012 13 financial years.

Question agreed to.