28 Aug 2024
FIVE GREAT REASONS: A FAIR AND CREDIBLE ENERGY PLAN FOR QUEENSLANDERS
By Ariane Wilkinson, Senior Manager - Climate & Energy Policy, Brisbane
We all want our families to live safe and healthy lives and to enjoy the many opportunities that come with being a Queenslander.
Right now, Queensland families are grappling with a range of issues that will be pivotal to voters on election day - rising living costs, access to healthcare and community safety.
While no plan is a silver bullet, a fair and credible energy plan can help drive down expenses for Queensland families, pave the way for our children’s future success and protect our nature and wildlife.
Queensland is already making steady progress towards a cleaner, brighter future.
Our new climate and renewable laws and nation-leading Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan - are attracting new investment and employment opportunities as Australia moves away from fossil fuels.
We have the highest uptake of rooftop solar in the country. And more than a quarter of our energy production already comes from renewables.
The biggest energy transformation of our lifetime is underway. Change this big is seldom easy, and there’s definite room for improvement as we grapple with the best path forward for the Sunshine State.
Now is the time to put politics aside and for all parties to show us the pathway for an energy plan that’s both fair and credible for Queenslanders and nature.
From lower power bills for families to protecting our nature and wildlife, here are five reasons a fair and credible energy plan can be great for Queenslanders:
1. Secure, affordable power for families
While rooftop solar is already driving down prices for more than one in every three Queensland households, more small and large-scale renewables with storage can lead to more affordable power bills for everyone. Australia’s Energy Market Operator says energy from solar and wind is the cheapest form of energy to build - states with more large-scale renewable energy, like Victoria and South Australia, have lower wholesale energy prices than Queensland.
2. Quality jobs and a strong economy
Our new climate and renewable targets, backed by the current Energy and Jobs Plan, are estimated to support 100,000 direct and indirect new jobs by 2040 - from electricians in Brisbane to childcare staff in Mount Isa to engineers in Gladstone. Deloitte reports Queensland can gain $430 billion by reducing emissions to 75% below 2005 levels by 2035. This resilient economic growth, including new investment and industry opportunities like in clean manufacturing, means we can reinvest more back into the state.
3. Protection for Nature and Wildlife
From the Great Barrier Reef to our trees and koalas, moving to large-scale clean energy plays a big role in driving down emissions and limiting the impact of global heating on nature (not to mention reducing our high insurance and clean up costs from extreme weather events). Renewable projects can coexist with nature and farmland better than any other energy source, but they must be managed and implemented well. Better environmental laws and regional planning help renewables go in the right places, in the right ways, that are good for nature and communities. Governments can support industry in adopting best practices for environmental management, regenerating our landscapes and fostering a circular, nature-positive economy.
4. Energy Independence
Queensland can increasingly generate its own energy through our abundant wind and solar resources and critical minerals. This will reduce our reliance on other states and countries, limit the impact of global fuel and energy market fluctuations and tariffs on fossil fuels, and even allow us to manufacture clean energy solutions for others.
5. A cleaner, brighter future
When it comes to our health and the health of nature, decarbonising the Sunshine State can protect us from injury, illness or death from more intense heatwaves and floods, reduce air pollution and therefore the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and improve water quality and water and food security. By driving better social, economic and nature-positive opportunities, we can ensure our kids are safe, healthy and enjoying the opportunities that come with being a Queenslander.
As a Queensland mum, I’m excited about what the future holds for our state. As a climate expert, I know a fair and credible energy plan is an important piece of the puzzle in maximising the benefits for us all.
With strong leadership - and meaningful input from the Queensland community - we can maximise the benefits, address legitimate concerns, and do what’s right for Queenslanders and our natural environment.