THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy is holding public hearings for its inquiry into climate change bills on Friday January 29 and Monday February 1, 2021.

The two private members’ Bills were introduced in Parliament by Zali Steggall MP on November 9, 2020, and referred to the committee for review. 

The Bills seek to alter Australia’s current climate change management and establish a new Climate Change Commission to replace the current Climate Change Authority. 

Committee Chair Ted O’Brien said, “The Committee will consider the Bills carefully and we’re looking forward to hearing the views of a range of interested parties.”

Acknowledging a high level of interest in the inquiry, Mr O’Brien noted the Committee’s experience in managing inquiries on issues of important public policy.

“We have recently managed inquiries into nuclear energy, bushfires, Scope 3 emissions and feral cats, and so the Committee is well placed to now deliberate on the proposed climate change bills," Mr O'Brien.

“As a Committee, we’ll do what we always do. We won’t draw any conclusions prematurely, but rather assess the information with dispassionate independence.”  

The Committee will commence its hearing on Friday with the key Australian Government agencies managing Australia’s current climate change framework. 

The hearing will then consider views from the health, science, technical, environmental, infrastructure, energy, planning, business and investment sectors. 

On Monday, the Committee will hear from some state and local government bodies and others including grassroots community groups, policy development organisations, academics and legal experts. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, committee hearings are not presently open for physical attendance by members of the public. Proceedings will be available to watch live or later on the Parliament’s website at aph.gov.au/live.

Public hearing details
Date: Friday 29 January 2021
Time: 9.30am to 4.45pm
Location: Via video and teleconference 

Date: Monday 1 February 2021
Time: 11am to 5pm
Location: Via video and teleconference.

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THE value of Queensland’s resources industry to the state economy has been proven yet again, according to the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), with the news Queensland has recorded the highest number of coal jobs ever reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in the September to November 2020 quarter.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said coal industry jobs rose by almost 40 percent during the quarter -- increasing from 28,072 to 39,075 -- which demonstrated how crucial the resources sector is to the state economy and to jobs.

“December trade data also shows the value of Australian coal exports rose by 26 per cent over the previous month, showing coal continues to be an important part of the global energy and industrial mix and will be for years to come,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“In terms of Queensland, December was a very good month for coal tonnes, with state coal exports up 19 percent on November, increasing from 16 million tonnes to just over 19 million tonnes.”

The latest ABS jobs data shows Queensland also recorded the highest number of jobs in resources since 2013, increasing 23 percent over the previous quarter to reach 78,369 jobs.

This is 18 percent higher, or nearly 12,000 more jobs, than the same period in 2019, which was unaffected by the global pandemic.

Mr Macfarlane said oil and gas jobs have also recovered strongly, increasing 147 percent between the August and November quarters.

He said the state’s resources companies continue to perform and exceed expectations in spite of COVID-19, which benefits every Queenslander through taxes, royalties, exports, jobs and business opportunities emanating from the sector.

“Our companies are also leading the way in exploring and investing in new economy minerals, technologies and renewable energy projects so we can continue to contribute to the state economy and to jobs in the long term,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“It’s an exciting time to be part of the resources sector and Queensland is in an ideal position to benefit from our resilience and innovation.”

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Australian solar industry defied expectation and the economic challenges of COVID-19 to install a record-breaking 5,000 MW of solar power in 2020, equivalent to almost 15 million average solar panels, new analysis by solar industry consultancy SunWiz has found.

With every state and territory except Tasmania smashing records for the volume of solar panels and system size installed, Australia now has 20,000MW of solar capacity nationwide—up from 15,000MW in 2019.

Australia led the world in uptake of solar on a per-capita basis and this follows a record year for installations in 2019.

The annual growth rate for rooftop solar has exceeded 33% for the past four years, and accelerated in 2020.

“The number of Australians installing rooftop solar systems increased by 40% compared to 2019 levels,” said Warwick Johnston, managing director of SunWiz.

“The COVID-19 pandemic had major impacts on Australia’s economy, but the benefits of solar were strong enough to help the industry overcome challenges including supply shortages from China, lockdowns stopping installation in Victoria, and economic uncertainty.

“In fact, the pandemic had an overall positive impact for the industry as people staying home more turned to solar to help reduce their electricity bills,” Mr Johnson said.

Commercial growth slowed, partly due to COVID-19’s impact on the broader economy and business finances, but corporate power purchase agreements and green hydrogen provided optimism for the future, with mega-projects on the horizon – including the 14,000MW SunCable and the 26,000MW Asian Renewable Energy Hub.

Utility-scale battery projects also became commonplace as state governments worked towards meeting their net zero emissions targets, with Renewable Energy Zones, purchasing price agreements and subsidies.

“It’s an exceptional time to be working anywhere in the Australian rooftop solar supply chain, and things will only get better as solar system prices continue to hit record lows and momentum builds on reducing emissions to tackle climate change,” Mr Johnson said.

“While we need policies that ensure every household can connect solar to the grid and ideally make it simpler and more affordable for renters across the country to install solar panels – similar to what is underway in Victoria, 2021 looks to be another bright year for solar."

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell has commended the NSW Government for its new pilot program that will see some small business subcontractors get paid in 20 business days.

The pilot program, which runs until June, signals the NSW Government’s commitment to faster payment times down the supply chain.  It follows the introduction of the NSW Faster Payments Policy in 2018, which ensures small businesses directly contracted by the NSW Government are paid in five business days.

“This trial, which extends the existing faster payments policy to ensure larger companies with NSW government contracts pay their suppliers in 20 business days is very encouraging,” Ms Carnell said.

“Fast-tracking payments to small businesses is the best way to help them recover after what has been an incredibly tough 12 months.

“This initiative will benefit small business suppliers and will also flow through to the broader economy," she said.

“We know that small businesses, particularly those hardest hit by the COVID crisis, urgently need cash flow.

“The latest CreditorWatch data shows businesses are being paid on average 26 days overdue, which is absolutely devastating for them and highlights the importance of paying small businesses on time.

“The NSW Government’s faster payment program for small business suppliers should be considered the benchmark for governments at all levels. If NSW can do it, there is no reason why it can’t apply across the board," Ms Carnell said.

“Big businesses should also be doing the right thing by their small business suppliers by paying on time and ensuring they are complying with the Payment Times Reporting Scheme which came into effect on 1 January, 2021.” 

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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