Australian Greens plan for a solar South Australia
Australian Greens announce plan to fund solar panels for 48,000 SA homes 
June 16, 2016 http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/federal-election/australian-greens-announce-plan-to-fund-solar-panels-for-48000-sa-homes/news-story/fd62f39d9131861e539f9a674 Political Editor Tory Shepherd, Advertiser MORE than 48,000 South Australian homes would get solar panels and energy efficient measures under an Australian Greens plan to reduce electricity costs and reduce emissions.
Deputy Leader Larissa Waters and SA Senator Robert Simms has announced in Adelaide today a plan to spend $2000 on each public and community housing home, which they say could save renters as much as $1075 a year.
The plan would cost $60 million a year, and would not be finished until 2030. By that point homes would be retrofitted with energy-saving and water efficient devices, with solar on every roof.
Senator Simms said it would also boost jobs, employing thousands of South Australians.
“This initiative would not only provide South Australians with more jobs in the renewable energy and green housing sector, but it would save the average household $780 per year in electricity bills from installing solar alone,” he said.
Senator Waters said nationally it would help about 800,000 people. More than 2400 deaths a year are associated with cold weather, she said.
“We have an unequal system where our lowest earners are paying the highest price for power, many in ageing houses that are inefficient to run, hot in summer and freezing in winter,” she said.
The Greens will not be able to form Government but they may share the balance of power in the Senate after the July 2 election, which could give them leverage over the major parties.
Greens propose a more rational way to deal with Lucas Heights’ returning nuclear wastes
“The Greens policy delivers a way forward by redirecting existing funding of $30 million from the current process to a new deliberative public inquiry focused on transparency and evidence to come up with the best possible solutions,” South Australian Greens senator Robert Simms said.
Federal election 2016: Greens would put nuke dump on hold JARED OWENS The Australian,June 10, 2016 The Greens are pushing to stockpile radioactive waste in suburban Sydney, pending an independent inquiry that would expressly exclude evidence from anyone who might profit from a dedicated nuclear dump.
The party’s nuclear policy would cancel the process led by Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg that has identified farmland at Barndioota, 400km north of Adelaide, as a potential nuclear waste site, despite objections raised by some traditional owners.
Under the policy, exports of Australian nuclear medicine to overseas patients would be curbed and research would be funded to find alternatives to radiotherapy.
The proposed independent inquiry would be charged with recommending a long-term solution to storing nuclear waste — typically, used medical equipment and spent fuel rods from Sydney’s Lucas Heights reactor — without imposing a dump site on reluctant communities. Continue reading
Labor would reinstate funding to environment legal centres
Labor to return environment legal centres http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/06/14/21/00/labor-to-return-environment-legal-centres#EJais4TajqQhgw6s.99 A federal Labor government would hand back taxpayer money to environment legal centres, pledging almost $11 million over four years.
Environment spokesman Mark Butler revealed Labor would reinstate federal funding to environmental defenders officers, after the Abbott government stripped the legal centres of cash in 2013.
Mr Butler also confirmed Labor would retain the federal government’s power to make environmental approvals, reversing the coalition’s policy of handing those powers to the states.
“Australians need to be able to trust the national system of environment approvals,” campaigns director Paul Sinclair said.
Labor also promised to streamline environmental assessments with states, while looking at options for an independent environment protection body.
The Wilderness Society called on the coalition to back an independent agency to work as a regulator.
“We need a new national independent environment body free from political interference,” national director Lyndon Schneiders said.
Bill Shorten ambivalent at the least, about Australia importing nuclear waste
Bill Shorten signals he may be open to supporting high level nuclear waste dump for SA, ABC News By Michael Coggan 17 Feb 2016, Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has given qualified support for the establishment of a multi-billion-dollar nuclear waste storage repository in South Australia.
Key points:
- Bill Shorten may back a high-level nuclear waste dump in SA if economics and safeguards stack up
- Labor has traditionally opposed an expansion of the nuclear industry
- Mr Shorten says issue must not be consigned to the “too-hard basket”
Traditionally, Labor has opposed the expansion of the nuclear industry.
The Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle released tentative findings yesterday that suggested South Australia stood to reap $5 billion a year if it established a “high-level” nuclear waste facility.
The early findings suggest that nuclear power generation is not viable in the short term.
In response to the nuclear waste dump option, Mr Shorten said “on this question, (SA Premier) Jay Weatherill and I are of one mind”.…….http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-16/shorten-and-weatherill-of-one-mind-on-sa-nuclear-waste-dump/7174002
Bill Shorten refuses to back South Australian nuclear probe, THE Australian 10 Feb 15 BILL Shorten has refused to back the South Australian Labor government’s proposal to investigate nuclear energy. …..
spokesman for the federal Opposition Leader said he would not support the inquiry, and the ALP had a “longstanding position on nuclear power based on the best available expert advice”.
Labor has maintained consistent opposition to the establishment of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. It is also “strongly opposed” to the importation and storage of nuclear waste sourced from overseas in Australia…… http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/bill-shorten-refuses-to-back-south-australian-nuclear-probe/story-e6frgczx-1227213806115
Climate change action can’t wait until the 2020 election: it’s critical NOW
This Is The Climate Change Election, Despite What Turnbull Or Shorten Say NewMatilda, June 10, 2016 Both parties are ignoring the big, coal-coloured elephant in the room. With the world speeding towards a tipping point, action can not wait for the next election cycle to begin, writes Costa Avgoustinos.Climate change is the number one issue this election, whether Turnbull or Shorten are willing to frame it that way or not. This is not only because averting climate disaster is important. It’s because our ability to do so is time-sensitive – after decades of delay the window for effective climate action is closing rapidly and will soon shut forever.
Here is a quick and dirty summary of the climate science: If the world heats up 1.5°C, we’re screwed.
Why? Because it is expected at this “tipping point”, how hot things get begins to significantly fall from our control. A series of events we have no power over are triggered once 1.5°C is breached – for example, the ability of oceans and forests to absorb our carbon emissions are substantially exhausted and greenhouse gases currently trapped under ice start being released.
We may soon be placed in a position where all we can do is powerlessly watch as temperatures climb to Mad Max levels; where sea rises will gobble at our coasts (where 85 per cent of Australians live), food and water sources are devastated, heat-thriving diseases are incubated, and conflicts and a meaner streak of politics are inevitable.
Because politicians are not taking the task of staying below the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C seriously, many predict we are “locking in” temperature rises of 4°C, which Professor John Schellnhuber, one of the world’s most influential climate scientists, bluntly stated at a conference in Australia would threaten nothing less than “human civilisation”.
The World Bank, hardly an organisation of tree huggers, stated “all our work, all our thinking, is designed with the threat of a 4°C degree world in mind” with the unnerving warning that there is “no certainty that adaptation to a 4°C world is possible”………..
Both the Coalition and Labor stoke and exploit our psychological blindspot, the difficulty we all have in seeing the climate crisis for the danger that it is, to get us talking about what they want us to consider an emergency. Don’t let them do it. This election, vote for climate action and against new coal mines. It is literally the most critical issue on the table, and its time is now. https://newmatilda.com/2016/06/10/this-is-the-climate-change-election-despite-what-turnbull-or-shorten-say/
Nick Xenophon Team has NO policy on nuclear wastes
How long can Senator Nick Xenophon sit on the fence regarding the plan for Australia to import the world’s nuclear waste?
Xenophon has said that he wants a referendum in South Australia, on this issue – BUT ONLY AFTER a dump site has been selected.
Nuclear waste dumping was the main focus of questions at a recent Nick Xenophon forum.
The nuclear waste import plan is not just a matter for South Australia. It is a critically important issue for all of Australia. With the federal election looming, it’s becoming apparent that the Nick Xenophon Team could well hold the balance of power, post election.
There’s no mention of nuclear issues in their national policy. Not good enough. Time Xenophon came clean on whether or not he will fall in with the nuclear lobby’s plans.
Greens move to prevent vested interests profiting from Federal nuclear waste dump
Federal election 2016: Greens would put nuke dump on hold, THE AUSTRALIAN, JUNE 10, 2016 Jared Owens The Greens are pushing to stockpile radioactive waste in suburban Sydney, pending an independent inquiry that would expressly exclude evidence from anyone who might profit from a dedicated nuclear dump.
The party’s nuclear policy would cancel the process led by Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg that has identified farmland at Barndioota, 400km north of Adelaide, as a potential nuclear waste site, despite objections raised by some traditional owners.
Under the policy, exports of Australian nuclear medicine to overseas patients would be curbed and research would be funded to find alternatives to radiotherapy.
The proposed independent inquiry would be charged with recommending a long-term solution to storing nuclear waste — typically, used medical equipment and spent fuel rods from Sydney’s Lucas Heights reactor — without imposing a dump site on reluctant communities.
In the meantime, intermediate-level nuclear waste would continue to be warehoused at the Lucas Heights reactor in Sydney’s south.
The inquiry would hear from community groups and experts in engineering, social science, environmental science, community consultation, radiation and medicine, the policy says.
However, witnesses deemed to have a “conflict of interest” — that is, those who might profit from the storage of nuclear waste — would be excluded from the process.
“The Greens policy delivers a way forward by redirecting existing funding of $30 million from the current process to a new deliberative public inquiry focused on transparency and evidence to come up with the best possible solutions,” South Australian Greens senator Robert Simms said.
The policy adds to the growing list of demands that Bill Shorten would face in exchange for the minor party’s support in the event of a hung parliament……..
The Greens’ proposed inquiry would run alongside a separate royal commission into British nuclear testing in South Australia and Western Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/federal-election-2016/federal-election-2016-greens-would-put-nuke-dump-on-hold/news-story/42fabc8f9172fe65f1f282322fe60ade
Election 2016: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders unite
Launch of the #RedfernStatement 2016
https://changetherecord.org.au/blog/news/election-2016-national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-leaders-unite
“The #RedfernStatement at a glance:
The Statement calls on the next Federal Government to:
– Restore the $534m cut from the Indigenous Affairs Portfolio by the 2014 Budget.
– Commit to better and ongoing engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through their representative national peaks.
– Recommit to Closing the Gap by:
i. setting targets to reduce rates of family violence, incarceration and out-of-home care and increase access to disability support services; and
ii. securing national funding agreements to drive the implementation of national strategies.
– Commit to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders to establish a Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs in the future.
– Commit to address the unfinished business of reconciliation.”
Labor politicians ambivalent on nuclear waste importing?
Already, I have received a number of replies to my question to Labor politicians and candidates. Some replies have directly answered the question:
“Would you vote for changing Labor Nuclear Policy or would you vote to keep the present policy?”
Quite a few Labor politicians have opted to send a standard answer, THAT DOESN’T QUITE ANSWER THE QUESTION. (I have wtitten back, politely asking them for more clarity on their personal position) This is their reply:
New South Wales people: put your Labor politicians on the nuclear spot!
SAMPLE EMAIL
It is best to send emails or letters in your own words. However, here’s 
an example anyway.
- Labor will:
- Vigorously and totally oppose the ocean dumping of radioactive waste;
- Prohibit the establishment of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle in Australia;
- Fully meet all Australia’s obligations as a party to the NPT; and
- Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste that is sourced from overseas in Australia.
MPs
Hon Anthony Albanese MP for grayndler A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au (02) 6277 4664
Hon Sharon Bird MP for Cunningham Sharon.Bird.MP@aph.gov.au (02) 6277 4244
Hon Chris Bowen MP for McMahon, Chris.Bowen.MP@aph.gov.au (02) 9604 0710
Hon Tony Burke MP for Watson Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au (02) 9750 9088
Hon Jason Clare MP for Blaxland – no email (02) 9790 2466
Hon Ms Sharon Claydon MP – no email (02) 4926 1555
Hon Mr Pat Conroy MP Pat.Conroy. MP@aph.gov.au 02) 4954 261
Hon Justine Elliot MP – for Richmond Justine.Elliot.MP@aph.gov.au (07) 5523 4371
Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP – for Hunter Joel.fitzgibbon.MP@aph.gov.au (02) 4991 1022
Hon Mr Chris Hayes MP – for Fowler Chris.Hayes.MP@aph.gov.au (02) 9726 3988
Hon Ed Husic MP for Chifley – no email (02) 6277 4488
Mr Stephen Jones MP for Throsby no email (02) 4262 6122
Hon Ms Julie Owens MP for Parramatta Julie.Owens.MP@aph.gov.au (02) 6277 4134
Ms Michelle Rowland MP – for Greenway michelle.rowland.mp@aph.gov.au (02) 9671 4780
Senator the Hon Doug Cameron senator.cameron@aph.gov.au (02) 6277 3367
Senator Jenny McAllister jennifer.mcallister@aph.gov.au (02) 9719 8100
Peter Alley for Lyne peter@peteralley.com 0428 327 525
Aoife Champion for HUme – aoife.champion@nswlabor.org.au 0413 794 318
Milton Dick – for Oxley Milton.Dick@australianlabor.com.au (07) 3372 8980
Damian Wood for Cowper (contact not available)
Labor politicians and candidates: question them on nuclear policy!
SAMPLE EMAIL
It is best to send emails or letters in your own words. However, here’s an example anyway.
- Labor will:
- Vigorously and totally oppose the ocean dumping of radioactive waste;
- Prohibit the establishment of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle in Australia;
- Fully meet all Australia’s obligations as a party to the NPT; and
- Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste that is sourced from overseas in Australia.
Hon Anthony Byrne MP – MP for Holt Anthony.Byrne.MP@aph.gov.au (03) 9796 7533
Hon Ms Lisa Chesters MP – for Bendigo Lisa.Chesters.MP@aph.gov.au (03) 5443 9055
Hon Michael Danby MP – Melbourne Ports – Michael.Danby.MP@aph.gov.au (03) 9534 8126
Hon Mark Dreyfus QC, MP – for Isaacs – mark.dreyfus.mp@aph.gov.au
Hon David Feeney – for Batman david.feeney@australianlabor.com.au
Hon Andrew Giles for Scullin – Andrew.Giles@vic.alp.org.au (03) 9404 1911
Hon Catherine King MP for Ballarat Catherine.King.MP@aph.gov.au 03) 5338 8123
Hon Jenny Macklin – for Jagajaga no email.(03) 9459 1411Richard Marles- for Coria richard.marles.mp@aph.gov.au 03) 5221 3033
Brendan O’Connor for Gorton Brendan.O’Connor.MP@aph.gov.au (03) 8390 6166
Clare O’Neil – for Hotham Clare.ONeil.MP@aph.gov.au (03) 9545 6211
Ms Joanne Ryan- for Lalor – no email (03) 9742 5800
Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP – for Calwell Maria.Vamvakinou.MP@aph.gov.au (03) 9367 5216
Mr Tim Watts MP for Gellibrand http://www.timwatts.net.au/Contact/Contact-Info (03)9687 7661
SENATORS VICTORIA
Senator the Hon Kim Carr senator.carr@aph.gov.au (03) 9639 2798
Senator the Hon Jacinta Collins https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Contact_Senator_or_Member?MPID=GB6
03) 9890 7022
Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy senator.conroy@aph.gov.au (03) 9391 4952
Senator Gavin Marshall senator.marshall@aph.gov.au (03) 9348 9699
CANDIDATES VICTORIA
Chris Buckingham for McMillan Chris.Buckingham@vic.alp.org.au 0405 518 057
Paul Klisaris – for Ashton paul.klisaris@vic.alp.org.au 0412 516 026
Hovig Melkonian – for Casey hovigmelkonian@australianlabor.com.au 0459 959 095
Stefanie Perri – for Chisholm stefanie.perri@australianlabor.com.au (03) 9544 2192
Shashi Bhatti – for Gippsland https://www.facebook.com/search/str/Shashi%2BBhatti/keywords_top
Carl Katter – for Higgins carl@carlkatter.com 0432 507 140
Libby Coker, for Corangamite, libby.coker@libbycoker.com.au 0400 267 288
Matthew Coote – for Goldstein matthew.coote@vic.alp.org.au 0435 496 625
Tony Clark – for Deakin (03) 8819 0398 http://tonyclark.net.au/Contact
Simon Curtis for Latrobe simon.curtis@vic.alp.org.au 0400 174 155
Marg D’Arcy marg@margdarcy.com 0409859046
Sophie Ismail for Melbourne sophie4melbourne@gmail.com 0474 014 540
Eric Kerr – for Indi Eric.Kerr@vic.alp.org.au
Peta Murphy – for Dunkley 0468 778 143 peta.murphy@vic.alp.org.au
Carolyn Gleixner – for Flinders carolyngleixneralp@gmail.com (03) 5989 0537
Adam Rundell for Menzies Adam.Rundell@vic.alp.org.au
Lydia Senior – for Mallee lydia@lydiasenior.com.au 0447 133 893
Alan Williams for Murray Alan.Williams@vic.alp.org.au
Senator Jacqui Lambie comes out fully supporting the nuclear industry
NUCLEAR POWER https://twitter.com/JacquiLambie
JLN notes that should the majority of Australians agree to allow the establishment of a home-grown industry of nuclear power generation; this of course will significantly de-carbonise our base-load national energy supply and achieve the same purpose as a carbon tax or ETS for the environment, while keeping the cost of electricity low and competitive with our major trading partners.
JLN notes that Australia has more than 30% of the world’s known uranium resources and has the potential to become the new Saudi Arabia of the 21stCentury, which continues to embrace the rapidly advancing technologies and new safer methods of nuclear power generation.
Labor’s community solar hubs would benefit renters and pensioners
As of February this year, more than 1.5 million Australian homes had rooftop solar panels. But Labor believes gaps exist among households unable to access the technology, such as renters, public housing tenants and apartment dwellers.
The community power hubs would work with communities to develop renewable projects by providing legal and technical expertise and start-up funding.
Projects might include community wind farms, “solar gardens” or shared arrays of solar panels for groups of renters, retrofitting social housing to promote energy efficiency and encouraging solar rooftop installations on social housing and aged-care properties.
The hubs may also provide finance for low-income earners and pensioners, such as by using council rates as financial contributions for projects.
‘Solar revolution’: Labor climate plan warms up to renters, pensioners http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/solar-revolution-labor-climate-plan-warms-up-to-renters-pensioners-20160601-gp8sc8.html June 1, 2016 Nicole Hasham Environment and immigration correspondent Groups of renters could share a “garden” of solar panels and the technology would be encouraged in public housing and aged-care homes in a $98.7 million Labor push to bring the “solar revolution” to those who do not own their homes.
The details came as the Greens announced a plan to double the number of paid firefighters to battle extreme bushfires, saying renewable energy is important but the effects of global warming are already being felt.
Fairfax Media polling this month showed two-thirds of voters believe the federal government is doing “not very much” or “nothing at all” to combat climate change, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s adherence to policies of the former Abbott administration has been interpreted as a trigger for a fall in his popular appeal ahead of the July 2 election.
In Brisbane on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten spruiked a Labor plan to create up to 10 “community power hubs” to allow more people to access renewable energy. Labor previously flagged the measure in the release of its broader climate election policies in April. Continue reading
Labor’s renewable energy plan won’t cost taxpayers – Shorten
No net cost for renewable plan: Labor, SBS News 2 June 16 Bill Shorten insists his plan to have government departments and agencies run on 50 per cent renewables won’t cost taxpayers. Bill Shorten insists a plan to force commonwealth agencies to run on 50 per cent renewable energy will have no net cost.
But the opposition leader won’t say if the policy has been costed, relying on a government-commissioned report that found renewable energy puts downward pressure on power prices. He’s also banking on technology getting cheaper before 2030. “There’ll be no net cost,” Mr Shorten told reporters in Sydney on Thursday. “I know if you want an economic plan you’ve got to have a plan for climate change.”……..
Mr Shorten referenced an Abbott-government initiated review into the Renewable Energy Target – which recommended the policy be pared back – as proof there would be no net cost.
The RET was subsequently slashed from 41,000 gigawatt hours to 33,500 by 2020, after a lengthy stand-off between the coalition and Labor. Investment in the sector fell 88 per cent last year as a result.
Labor wants half of all Australian energy to come from renewables by 2030, while the coalition is yet to reveal a goal past 2020.
Many commonwealth services were in the ACT, which was already sourcing renewable energy, Mr Shorten said. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/06/02/no-net-cost-renewable-plan-labor
Coalition electorates have highest proportion of solar powered homes
Liberal electorates have the highest proportion of voters who rely on solar power, and Australians using solar power are more likely to be in rural and regional marginal electorates…. (subscribers only)
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/election/coalition-electorates-have-highest-proportion-of-solar-powered-homes-20160601-gp95wc
Antinuclear 