Votes are still being counted, and some of the results of Saturday’s federal election are still unclear – but what is clear is that 2022 was the climate election.
Australians want real action on climate change and support for renewable energy.
We are hopeful for what this result means – but there is still a lot of work ahead to make sure our energy transformation is fair and full of opportunities for regional Australians.
Attribution: James D. Morgan/Getty Images
We welcome Labor’s ‘Rewiring the Nation’ policy, which will update the grid and build critical transmission infrastructure to support more renewables. If we do this well, we can drive down power prices and create more regional careers in renewables.
Labor’s incoming Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, has committed to reviewing the grid planning process to make sure communities are involved earlier.
We also welcome their commitment of $20 million to support new energy apprenticeships and a new energy skills program.
We’re hopeful that this new government, whether majority or minority, will lead an energy transformation that places regional Australians at the centre.
So, what does this election result mean for our work?
We’re not going on holiday anytime soon. We’ll be here to hold the new government accountable to its promises and push them to go further in their support for landholders and regional communities at the forefront of our energy transformation.
We will continue to work with communities to build a more prosperous regional Australia, by seeking opportunities for new industries and ways to manage the impacts that communities are most concerned about.
We will advocate to the Federal Government to support the practical things that will make the energy transformation easier for regional communities: improved payments for landholders hosting transmission lines, local transition authorities to coordinate local-led planning, and greater overall transparency.
We will continue to encourage better renewable energy industry practice that supports local people and local environments.
We look forward to working alongside you in these endeavours.
Andrew Bray, National Director, RE-Alliance.