Cost of living pressures mean Ben Carroll must not waver on Victoria’s equitable clean energy transition, but act to fix Allan’s poor record on nature protection
Photo op for media – A friendly non-partisan demonstration will take place outside Ben Carroll’s office today at 12pm, 441 Keilor Road, Niddrie
Environment Victoria has today urged new Victorian Premier Carroll to stay committed to lowering energy bills through fair electrification and renewable energy while using his leadership to reset and strengthen nature protection.
“Cost of living is the number one issue for Victorians, and they know clean energy is the fastest way to bring their power bills down,” said Joy Toose, Environment Victoria’s climate campaign manager.
“Renewables now generate nearly half of Victoria’s electricity and wholesale electricity prices dropped 60% in just the last 12 months. These savings are due to Labor decisions made years ago that are now really paying off.”
Victoria has enjoyed the biggest falls in wholesale electricity prices in Australia in the June quarter, down by 60 per cent year-on-year to $56/MWh amid a surge in renewable energy output, and expensive gas-powered generation has dropped a whopping 45 per cent, according to the latest report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
“The new Carroll government can drive down energy bills, slash emissions and free us from profiteering gas corporations by getting on with Victoria’s switch to clean energy,” said Toose.
Chris Schuringa, Environment Victoria’s nature campaigns manager, said: “The Allan government had a poor track record on nature protection – allowing ongoing logging of forests and wildlife, failing to meet their commitments for new reserves and important legislative reform, and slashing funding to Parks and jobs in nature protection.”
“Now is the time for a fresh start. The new Premier must enact key nature reforms urgently before the state election, to safeguard forests and wildlife still impacted by loopholes in Labor’s commitment to supposedly end native forest logging in Victoria.”
“The state government must legislate a ban on native forest logging and close the loopholes that are allowing continued forest destruction – including in Victoria’s iconic parks, pass the reforms to the Public Land Act to greater recognise Traditional Owner aspirations to access and care for Country, and urgently tackle the feral deer crisis wreaking havoc on Victoria’s forests and biodiversity,” she said.
MEDIA CONTACT:
James Norman, Media and Content Manager – 0451291775
j.norman@environmentvictoria.org.au
Contact for photo op – Victor Komarovsky 0490 681 534