Media release
17 September 2009
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and
the Arts, Peter Garrett today launched the
Bureau of Meteorology’s latest book; Climate
of Australia.
“Australians have always
been interested in weather and climate,
and this book is an essential resource for
anyone interested in or seeking information
on Australia’s climate,” said Mr Garrett.
“With the recent history
of severe weather events, and our changing
climate, our attention has been strongly
focused on the importance of monitoring
and understanding the trends, patterns and
extremes of Australia’s climate.”
This new book presents
a summary of the main climatic influences
across the country, how they have shaped
the landscape, and how they determine to
a large extent the way we live within our
own particular corner of this vast island
continent and its surrounds.
Jam packed with maps,
illustrations, and other images; an outline
of Australia’s climate down the ages is
followed by sections on climate influences,
climate elements, and extreme weather events
– such as the Federation drought, tropical
cyclone Tracy and the Canberra bushfires.
“Whether your quest
is for authoritative climate data for a
school project, or a community environmental
program, the new-look Climate of Australia,
with greatly expanded descriptive material,
and is a rich source of information,” Mr
Garrett said.
A bonus is the site-specific
information for many Australian towns and
regions on the accompanying CD-ROM.
Climate of Australia
is available through all good bookstores.
Technical notes: 224
pages, illustrated with 103 climate maps,
96 graphs and diagrams, 48 photographs and
35 other images. CD-ROM also contains a
further 187 climate maps and around 1050
climate data tables.
Selected images from
the book are available for download at:
ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/pub/files/librarypic/
+ More
Benefits for bushfire
communities amongst solar hot water adjustments
Media release
4 September 2009
The Australian Government has opened up
its $1,600 solar hot water rebate to people
who lost their homes in the Victorian bushfires
in February 2009.
Environment Minister
Peter Garrett said the rebate is not usually
available for people building new homes,
but the Government had made an exception
for homes destroyed in the fires.
“This is another leg
up to help these communities as they rebuild
and it will have long-term environmental
benefits as well,” Mr Garrett said.
“Solar hot water can
save a family up to $700 on their energy
bills and help cut down their impact on
climate change – it’s one of the most simple
and effective ways to make your home more
energy efficient.”
Mr Garrett said the
special arrangements target the 2,000 homes
estimated to have been destroyed in the
February 2009 bushfires, as well as the
1,400 that were left uninhabitable.
Parliamentary Secretary
for Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction, Bill
Shorten said: "This is a common-sense
decision which will benefit residents in
bushfire-affected towns who are rebuilding
their homes."
"The efforts of
residents on bushfire-hit areas in the wake
of the fires have been inspirational, and
we are determined to keep standing by them
as they move forward with their lives."
The bushfire change
is part of adjustments made today to the
Australian Government’s solar hot water
rebate. From tomorrow, the rebate on heat
pump systems will be reduced from $1,600
to $1000. This provides a fairer balance
between the gap householders pay for a heat
pump or solar hot water system. The $1,600
rebate on solar hot water systems is unchanged.
“Today’s changes will
allow even more people to access the Government’s
solar hot water rebate, maximising the benefits
for households and the environment,” Mr
Garrett said.
“Heat pumps are typically
a lot cheaper than solar hot water systems,
so this change provides a fairer balance
between the gap that householders have to
pay.
“We’re offering $1000
back on heat pump systems which can start
at around $3000, and a $1,600 rebate on
solar hot water systems which start at about
$4,200.
“We know there will
be some people affected by the transition
- people who can show they bought their
heat pump prior to 5 September 2009 can
apply for the higher rebate.”
The special arrangements
for Victorian bushfire communities require
that households:
are rebuilding a home
they lost in the fires,
are installing a solar or heat pump hot
water system that is eligible for at least
20 renewable energy certificates, and
are also installing a rainwater tank at
the property that meets the criteria for
the Victorian five star building standards.
Guidelines will be available from the website
at www.environment.gov.au/energyefficiency
or by calling the hotline on 1800 808 571
