Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My adjournment is to the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. The action I seek is a review of the Victorian energy upgrades (VEU) program to better incentivise an uptake of electric systems and new technologies to support more Victorians to make the choice to reduce their gas usage. A key pillar of the Victorian climate change strategy from the start has been the transition to a decarbonised energy sector. That means decreasing demand for gas in households and businesses. This is something that I have been pursuing with my community and within government. I have previously called for a review of the plumbing regulations to remove the requirement for solar water heaters installed in new homes to be gas boosted, something the department is now actively exploring.
Locally I have also worked to ensure our social housing developments are completely gas free, and my office has engaged with thousands of residents and businesses to promote the uptake of solar, batteries and the VEU. Across our suburbs, businesses, organisations and homes are taking up these opportunities to reduce emissions and lower power bills. As the largest energy efficiency scheme in Australia the VEU has already made a significant impact to reduce emissions, locking in 6.7 million tonnes of emissions reductions this year alone. This is the first time a state has acted to change energy use in homes and businesses at this scale.
However, the current VEU program includes subsidies and rebates for some energy-efficient gas appliances and systems on the basis that they reduce emissions compared to other systems. Initially this has played a role in improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions in Victoria, particularly when coal-fired power played a larger role in the energy network. However, thanks to Labor’s rapid transition to renewables, all-electric systems have become more efficient and affordable, we have greater penetration of renewables across the network and, thanks to policies like our offshore wind targets and a new federal Labor government, things are only set to accelerate. We have also seen the rapid advancement and introduction of new tech that is becoming increasingly affordable to businesses and households—and frankly people want it. These are massive achievements made more significant when you consider Labor delivered them in the face of a national Liberal government that actively sought to stymie climate action.
We now have the opportunity to refresh the VEU program to further reduce domestic gas use and better reflect the emergence of new technologies. This aligns closely with our ongoing work under our climate change strategy to remove barriers to all electric developments and dovetails with our gas substitution road map, which is currently underway. Together this work will give consumers more choice about how they source their energy needs. When I became the member for Northcote I committed to actively being a voice for my community. While others are more interested in running slogans and sowing division, my focus remains on delivering tangible, impactful reform for Northcote.
