Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My gosh, that was a lot of grandstanding from a party that has barely even recognised climate science over the last decade. And let us not forget that the last time they were in government they tried to abolish the Victorian energy upgrades program. We do not forget. Every time they get power it is cuts, it is delays, it is abolishing the infrastructure and the investment that we put in to create actual climate action. What a sham that entire speech was.
It is with great pleasure that I rise to lead the debate for the government in support of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Amendment Bill 2022, a bill which makes important changes to strengthen Labor’s highly successful and ambitious Victorian energy upgrades program. The VEU is our flagship energy efficiency program and is already having an enormous impact in cutting power bills and reducing emissions for homes and businesses. No other jurisdiction is doing this at the scale that we are—it is a massive program. But before I go into the detail I just want to set some context, because the VEU is just one aspect of Victoria’s nation-leading work to deliver climate action.
As we speak, Victoria is in the process of making one of the most rapid transitions to renewable energy in the world. We are a global leader in this. Our entire economy is set to shift as we embark on a hugely ambitious program of decarbonisation, electrification and emissions reductions. It is not a small thing, transforming our economy and our society. It is not a small thing, bringing communities along on a collective mission to undo some of the worst impacts of industrialisation. It is not a small thing to do it while generating prosperity for our state rather than entrenching disadvantage, and it is certainly not something that a slick marketing campaign or senseless speeches like that of the previous speaker can achieve. This kind of transformation takes perseverance and policy refinement. It takes diligence and negotiation and compassion. It takes considering and balancing our economy, employment, energy security and environment. That is the dedication that this Labor government and our Minister for Energy and Minister for Environment and Climate Action have put into this work.
The Minister for Energy is one of the most determined people I know, and I am honoured to call her a friend. I have no hesitation in saying that Victoria’s ambitious climate policy is in no small part because of the bloody hard work done by her and her team, day after day, with the backing of a labour movement that has pushed the envelope and the limits of what is achievable again and again. There are always those who say that we are not doing enough, and maybe there is a place for them on the sidelines enjoying a self-satisfied running commentary. But talk is cheap, and we are in the business of real action here, not words. Labor is right now delivering the projects, investment and reform Victoria needs to achieve our state’s ambitious target of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. And it is better than that, because we smashed our 2020 target out of the park, and we are not slowing down.
As the member for Northcote I have been proud to push for strong climate policies and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. I am not afraid to say here in this house that I support us smashing our targets once more, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that we do. My community knows and understands the urgency of climate change. We know there is work to do, and fast. Across kitchen tables, in classrooms and on the street I hear the inner north loud and clear, and I echo their voices: we want to see a Victoria that moves away from the consume-and-discard model and instead elevates localised, re-usable and sustainable ways of living. We want to see a Victoria that treads lightly on our environment, recognising the lands and waters that sustain us, nurturing and honouring them. We want to give hope to our children that the world we are leaving them will be better than the one we inherited, and we can only do that if we act with clarity, with resolve and with dexterity.
At the national level we have been in the abyss, enduring a decade of decline marked by climate wars that have set our country back a devastating amount. I will not linger on the obstinance and vanity from some quarters which led to those dismal years, because thankfully, they are past us. The Albanese Labor government will now pick up those pieces and work to deliver unity, not division, progress, not protest. For Victoria that means a partner in Canberra committed to progressing climate action at speed and at scale. Critically, in line with our Labor values, we are putting people at the heart of this transition, a just transition. We are supporting workers into new industries and creating new clean jobs. We are supporting Victorians with rebates and lower power bills. Transition should not be reserved for the privileged few, and we remain committed to these values. We are bringing Victorians with us. It is the only way we will get this done.
Over two-thirds of our emissions are coming from the energy sector, so changing the ways we create and use energy is key. Victoria is already delivering the largest annual increase in renewable energy generation of any state ever. There are big batteries. There are neighbourhood batteries. There are solar and wind farms at scale. There is solar on hundreds of thousands of roofs. By 2025 every school, hospital, government building and our public transport network will be 100 per cent renewable. Then there is our offshore wind revolution. It is hard to wrap your head around how big this one is, but by 2040 offshore wind will exceed 9 gigawatts, basically setting us up to power our entire state with renewables. Friends of the Earth has said that this policy is a game changer for climate and jobs, and they are spot-on, but decarbonising our energy generation is only one part of the puzzle. We also need to change the way that we use power. The VEU program is pivotal to this work, and this bill strengthens it. Once a relatively straightforward upgrades program, it is now moving to support a wider range of more complex technologies, and we need to ensure that compliance and enforcement keeps up with this change.
The bill makes sure the Essential Services Commission has the powers and tools it needs to effectively manage the program and protect consumers. This includes pursuing enforcement where necessary and enforcing the new code of conduct for the program. The code sets out the minimum standards that consumers should expect from people and businesses delivering discounted products and services through the program. It includes protections for Victorians when it comes to marketing and sales, contracts, communication, installation, after-sale follow-up and consumer dispute resolution. These protections are in step with industry codes and Australian Consumer Law. New offences, enforcement tools and greater flexibility will be introduced, balanced by greater accountability for the commission. Penalties will now apply not just to businesses providing services but to subcontractors as well. The bill will also ensure that the accredited providers are appropriately qualified, and they will need to annually renew their accreditation and undertake independent assurance audits. The commission will also be able to reject applications to renew an accreditation and to revoke, suspend or impose conditions on accreditations. Together these changes will ensure the VEU has the framework in place to deliver on the program’s goals, improve the program’s transparency, protect consumers and maintain public trust in this important initiative.
The VEU has now helped more than 2 million households and businesses cut bills and reduce emissions to the tune of 73 million tonnes since 2009. This is the equivalent of taking 22 million cars off the road for a year. In Darebin more than 52 000 homes and 3000 businesses have participated in the program since it began. That is more than 161 energy efficiency upgrades. This includes 13 000 homes with fewer cold draughts this winter thanks to installing weather sealing, more than 13 000 homes with low-flow showerheads saving money on hot water, and more than 10 000 homes have installed in-home displays to help them better track energy use. Local businesses are also benefiting. In Thornbury 3 Ravens Brewery had 130 lights upgraded, Melbourne Bushfood in Fairfield had a split system installed and 38 LEDs fitted, and Encore Music Distributors in Alphington changed 133 lights. Together these three businesses alone are now saving 35 000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and $8650 a year.
But we are not done yet. We are also strengthening the program, adding new activities and phasing out incentives for all residential gas products. That is something I have been really proud to work on with my local environmental group Darebin Climate Action Now. We pushed for this in the Parliament and with the minister, and it has now been achieved, so we are very, very happy about that. I want to thank the minister for her support on that. I also want to thank DCAN, and we are also excited about the gas substitution road map and our shared vision for the future of energy efficiency in this state.
Talk is cheap; real change is hard. It takes ambition. It takes work. Real change is what Labor is interested in delivering. It is what I am interested in delivering, whether that be ambitious statewide targets or tangible local projects. Together I and my community have pushed to secure improvements like recent changes to the VEU, protecting our local waterways, funding for local sustainability projects and big gains in residential energy efficiency. This bill builds on that work. I commend it, and I commend Labor’s real action to secure a clean energy future for this state.
