Victoria’s renewable energy target to be dumped if the Coalition win 2018 Victorian election

VICTORIA’S renewable energy target will be dumped if the Coalition wins the 2018 state election, with Opposition Leader Matthew Guy arguing the scheme is unnecessary and drives up household costs.

Matthew Guy.

The Andrews Government has set a target that 25 per cent of electricity generated in the state comes from renewable energy by 2020, and 40 per cent by 2025.

The Coalition cites modelling done by the Andrews Government, which hasn’t been publicly released, that suggests the Victorian Renewable Energy Target would cost households $520 over the life of the program, or $1.2 billion in total.

Under the VRET, an auction scheme will be set up for companies to bid for long-term contracts, with costs likely to flow to consumers from 2020.

Read Matt Johnston’s story in Melbourne’s Herald Sun - “Victoria’s renewable energy target to be dumped if the Coalition win 2018 Victorian election.”

Mark Wakeham question worth of our political parties

Are our political parties fit
to govern? asks Environment
Victoria CEO, Mark Wakeham.

Environment Victoria CEO Mark Wakeham was published in the “Letters” page of the Melbourne Age – his letter was headed: “Worth of the Earth”.

Josh Frydenberg's spectacular backdown on climate policy made the headlines, but his Victorian colleagues  have been equally negligent. On Thursday Matthew Guy and the Liberal Party voted against the Victorian Climate Change Act, which legislates a long-term target of reaching zero emissions by 2050, and ensures climate change is better considered in government decision-making.

Having remained quiet on the environment for two years, in recent weeks the Victorian Liberals have realigned themselves with the Bernardi-Abbott camp. They've blamed SA's power outages on renewable energy rather than the extreme weather; argued for the state government to pay to keep Hazelwood open; opposed tiny increases in the price households and businesses are paid for the solar energy they produce; and are opposing a state renewable energy target that would create thousands of jobs in regional Victoria.

Is a party that ignores one of the biggest issues of our time fit to govern?