Media
release - 22 April 2009 - Production of
solar hot water systems in Western Australia
has soared since the Australian Government
announced the $3.9 billion Energy Efficient
Homes package, the Minister for the Environment
Peter Garrett said today while touring a
Perth hot water heater manufacturing plant.
"Today we are seeing
the Government's economic stimulus plan
in action, with boosted $1,600 solar hot
water rebates driving demand, increasing
Australian manufacturing and supporting
Australian jobs," Mr Garrett said.
"The Energy Efficient
Homes Package is a critical component of
the $42 billion Nation Building-Economic
Stimulus Plan, and will assist more than
300,000 households to install solar hot
water systems.
"The Government
has received more than 11,000 applications
for solar hot water rebates since February,
prompting manufacturing plants to increase
shifts and convert casual jobs to permanent
fulltime employment, including at Welshpool
near Perth, where shifts have been increased
by 50 per cent.
"The manufacture
and installation of a solar water system
uses twice as much labour as installation
of an electric hot water system which means
every time someone goes solar with their
hot water system, Australian employment
gets a boost,"
"The numbers show
this rebate is doing its job - creating
work for local industry, converting casual
jobs into permanent employment and driving
demand for energy efficient technology,
helping people save on their energy bills."
Minister Garrett said
he was pleased to learn Rheem Australia's
Welshpool plant was also set to benefit
from a $7 million contract to supply solar
water heaters for critical United Nations
accommodation.
"Four to five thousand
water heaters, manufactured right here in
Perth, will be fitted to emergency accommodation
in hot-spots throughout the world,"
Minister Garrett said.
"Australia was
an original innovator in solar hot water
and it is fantastic to see Australian manufacturing
continuing to compete successfully and deliver
energy efficient solutions around the world."
The Solar Hot Water
Rebate was increased to $1,600 on 3 February
2009 with no means test and will run until
30 June 2012. The rebate is available for
people who replace an existing electric
storage hot water system with a solar or
heat pump hot water system between 3 February
2009 and 30 June 2012. This includes owner-occupiers,
landlords and tenants.
Since the announcement
of the Energy Efficient Homes Package the
Government has received more than 11,000
applications for the solar hot water rebate
and more than 8,500 applications for insulation
components that will eventually see ceiling
insulation installed in around 2.7 million
homes across the country.
More information can be found at www.environment.gov.au/energyefficiency.
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Towards a creative Australia
Media release - 22 April
2009 - Today’s response to the Australia
2020 Summit highlights the Australian Government’s
recognition of the critical importance of
the arts to our identity, community and
economy.
Minister for the Arts
Peter Garrett said the Australian Government
will tackle many of the core themes addressed
by the Creative Stream at the Australia
2020 Summit, including arts education, funding
support, public access to arts and culture,
and the importance of Indigenous culture.
“Fostering creative
enterprise is not just essential to supporting
a vibrant arts sector, but it also contributes
significantly to building an innovative
economy and celebrating our unique identity.
The Government’s response addresses a number
of the key themes developed by participants
and commits us to consider further a range
of other ideas,” Mr Garrett said.
“The Government will
support a dedicated, commercial-free ABC
digital children’s channel which will provide
children with access to quality, child-appropriate
content to support their development.
“Recognising the critical
importance of Indigenous culture to Australia’s
identity, the Australian Government will
also take the first steps towards an Indigenous
Cultural Education and Knowledge Centre
as a place for celebrating Indigenous culture
and as a source of information, advice and
research.”
Additionally, the Government
has already delivered on a number of ideas
generated by the Creative Australia stream,
where the critical importance of increasing
the opportunity for connection to the arts
was identified.
“As I announced last
week, the Government has secured the agreement
of all state and territory education ministers
to ensure arts education is included in
the national curriculum.
“Further, we have already
committed to an Artists-in-Residence schools
program, which will bring arts practitioners
into our primary, secondary and tertiary
schools to teach students and teachers about
contemporary arts practice.
“I have also convened
the Creative Australia Advisory Group, which
includes Creative Stream co-chairs Cate
Blanchett and Julianne Schultz, to discuss
and develop ideas around a national cultural
policy, private sector support for the arts
and support arrangements for artists.”
The Australian Government’s
response to the 2020 Australia summit can
be found at www.australia2020.gov.au
+ More
Bushland purchase protects
Queensland habitat
Media release - 19 April
2009 - A private bushland property on Brisbane’s
outskirts, home to a number of Queensland
koalas, will now be protected forever as
part of Australia’s National Reserve System,
our nation’s most secure way of protecting
native habitat.
Environment Minister
Peter Garrett today joined Logan City Mayor
Pam Parker to announce the conservation
purchase of Logan Escarpment, a 43 hectare
property 30 kilometres south of Brisbane’s
CBD, now to be managed as part of Cornubia
Forest Park.
The Australian Government
provided $1.5 million in Caring for our
Country funding to help purchase the hilltop
property, with Logan City Council providing
the balance of $1.2 million.
“As Logan City Council
and the local community know, this is a
very special bushland property.
“Logan Escarpment is
not only home to koalas but also to a range
of native species such as the powerful owl,
squirrel and greater gliders, swamp wallaby
and the endangered Swordgrass brown butterfly.
“By expanding the network
of reserves in this area, Logan Escarpment
will enhance the connectivity between the
Venman Bushland National Park, Daisy Hill
Conservation Park and Neville Lawrie Reserve.
This whole of landscape conservation network
is exactly what we need to help our plants
and animals deal with the pressures they
face including climate change.”
Logan Mayor, Councillor,
Pam Parker said the purchase was the first
step in a new conservation relationship
between local councils and the Australian
Government.
“Together with 10 other
South East Queensland local councils, we
are working with the Australian Government
to identify important bushland to conserve
as part of the National Reserve System,”
Cr Parker said
“We will be working
together to protect local environments for
our children and grandchildren. We want
to make sure that our communities can enjoy
forests like this – to walk through the
bush, to picnic, to relax – and to ensure
that unique Australian animals such as koalas
are protected forever.”
For more information
visit www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs
