MEDIA RELEASE

A Million Broken Promises

The REC Agents Association (RAA) – the national industry association for companies that create and trade in renewable energy certificates – has criticised the Government’s broken election promise to deliver an additional Million Solar Roofs over the next ten years.

“The Million Solar Roofs program was an election commitment by the Coalition to help low income earners install solar panels or solar hot water systems,” said Ric Brazzale, RAA President. “The Government has broken its promise to low income earners and to the solar industry. This means higher power bills and less jobs for solar workers”. 

In a speech to Carbon Expo Australia on 3 December 2013, the Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, said: “The Government will provide $500 million for the One Million Solar Roofs program…The Solar Roofs program will provide $500 rebates for installing one million rooftop solar energy systems over the next ten years…

Priority will be given to low-income households and solar water heaters. In addition, the energy needs of remote indigenous communities will be carefully considered under the program.”

In an interview with Steve Austin of ABC Brisbane on 18 February 2014, just three months ago, Minister Hunt stated:

“we will have coming out of the budget, a package for low income earners in relation to solar power and, in particular, solar hot water. That’s an important part of what we take going forward…

I remember attending the Rheem [solar hot water] factory near Parramatta with Tony Abbott prior to the election and we made a commitment to work with the workers and for the workers and for low income families in this space.”

“Low income earners and solar workers have the right to feel very angry about this broken promise,” said Fiona O’Hehir, RAA Vice-President. “The Government must recommit to the Renewable Energy Target and help low income families reduce their power bills by installing solar.”

The RAA has provided detailed advice to the Government on the possible design and delivery of the Million Solar Roofs program.

For comment and more information: contact Ric Brazzale on
0419 522 659 or Fiona O’Hehir on 0409 176 167.

For more information on RAA, go to www.recagents.org.au

14 May 2014

The full media release can be found here.