Australian Parents for Climate Action (AP4CA) welcomes the Labor state government’s recent Climate Emergency Declaration, but is now calling on the government to translate words into action.
AP4CA SA local group organiser Dr Jasper Lee said South Australian families are feeling the financial stress of living in a fossil fuel-dependent society.
“We urgently need to get off high-cost gas and move to utilising abundant solar energy in our homes and businesses,” Dr Lee said.
“As parents and households we are acutely aware that the conflict in Ukraine is having a significant impact on global electricity costs, gas supply and petrol prices. The financial stress of being a fossil fuel-dependent society is having increasingly profound effects on South Australian businesses and families, particularly those in lower SES households and in rental properties, and the State economy at large will also be impacted.”
Rewiring Australia founder and energy advisor to US President Joe Biden Saul Griffith has estimated that Australian households can save up to $5000/year by adopting solar and an all-electric home.
AP4CA is calling on the Malinauskas Government to provide support homes to make direct savings through incentives to move homes away from gas by:
- Streamlining gas disconnection processes;
- Abolishing gas meter removal and abolition charges; and
- Providing direct subsidies for energy efficient electric appliances like Hot Water Heat Pumps, Induction Cooktops and Reverse Cycle Air Conditioners (RCAC) where a household is abolishing gas.
“We also call on the Malinauskas Government to support legislative efforts to void the requirement for mandatory gas connections to new residential developments,” Dr Lee said. “To take the climate crisis seriously, we must take the best low carbon approaches to building homes and energy usage. New homes can have a lower carbon footprint if they do not have gas.”
“As parents hoping to see system level climate action we encourage our State government to take a two-pronged approach to the global energy and climate crises.
“This includes a State-wide strategy to ‘Electrify Everything’ and reduce reliance on fossil fuels for SA households, businesses and industry, coupled with significant government investment in large-scale renewable energy programs like the Green Hydrogen Plant to increase our State’s generation of and access to local renewable energy supply.”
