This is a huge step forwards, and shows considerable dexterity in making it actually a positive for most Australians dollar wise.
And also sneaking in some tax reform which had been shamefully ducked until now.
That $18k no-tax threshold is a wonderful thing for part-timers, students, and semi-retired. But the main thing, we are now part of the worldwide effort to prevent life being hell on earth for our children and grandchildren.
Most people have no conception what 6 degrees would do to life on this planet.
For the first time since she delivered that horrible asylum speaker speech in her campaign, and all hope for a moral leader sank beneath the mire, I actually had a warm feeling for Ms Gillard. Perhaps she will actually come through.
This is a very great move, in the teeth of the Big End of Town, and it takes Australia into a fairer place, as well as a more surviveable one.
Really of course, the credit goes to Christine Milne, who began working for this 20 years ago, and is the most informed and activist person on Climate in this country.
A Tassie girl who got riled, and then refused to quit. Woman of the decade!
• Jenny Webber, Huon Valley Environment Centre: Burning native forests in furnaces is not renewable energy:
Huon Valley Environment Centre has welcomed a crucial step to preventing the burning of native forests for electricity across Australia.
Yesterday’s carbon price plan delivered on a long awaited change to the Federal Government’s renewable energy scheme, as native forest biomass will not be allowed to be listed as a Renewable Energy and therefore will not get Renewable Energy Certificates.
‘Australians don’t want electricity from the burning of our precious native forests in their homes. Burning native forests in polluting furnaces it not a genuine form of renewable energy, rather it produces more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of electricity than burning coal,’ Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.
“Our campaign to halt the proposed wood fired power station in the Huon Valley has today come to a significant turning point, when Forestry Tasmania can no longer laud their proposed polluting forest furnace as a source of renewable energy. Another major tool being used by the logging industry to further entrench the logging of native forests has been thwarted,” Jenny Weber said.
Earlier on Tasmanian Times: Contract signed to turn forests into pellets: Is this true?
• Jan Davis, TFGA: TFGA says carbon concessions to agriculture will not stop business erosion:
Despite concessions to agriculture, the carbon tax outlined today would embed additional costs to farmers from electricity and indirect sources related to energy, the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association said today.
“Our research on a carbon price of $23 a tonne puts that at an additional $1500 a year for the average farm, an erosion of 2.4 per cent,” TFGA chief executive Jan Davis said.
“You cannot erode our business in that way and expect it to remain competitive in the domestic and world markets in which we operate. Agricultural trade is never conducted on a level playing field. An Australian carbon tax makes the playing surface more uneven.”
Ms Davis said other countries were developing climate policies that recognised the importance of agriculture and avoided additional costs being imposed on farm businesses.
She said that while agricultural fuel had been excluded from the carbon tax, heavy-vehicle fuel would only be excluded for two years and any review of fuel excise could add to costs.
“In short, while we welcome confirmation that agriculture will not be covered by the carbon tax per se and that substantial funds will be invested into agricultural carbon mitigation measures, we remain adversely affected.”
• Business Spectator special, HERE
• Richard Flanagan, The Guardian, UK: Australia’s carbon tax is a brave start by a government still gripped by fear:
Excerpt:
…
It has been the strangest of battles that has already claimed two opposition leaders and one prime minister. And depending on who wins it, the rictus smile of Australian public life – behind which has hidden for years a paralysis of thought and action and has seen the coal and iron ore barons, the shock jocks and the Murdoch press seeming to set the political agenda as much as parliament – will continue or begin to break.
A conservative opposition leader, Tony Abbott, who once said climate change is “crap” and yet who is on record some years ago offering the most eloquent defence that could be made for a carbon tax, has waged a highly brutal – and effective – campaign against just such a tax by creating the impression that the Australian way of life will end if it comes to pass. His attempts to create a Tea Party-type fervour in support of his position has created an atmosphere in which serious climate scientists are receiving death threats and Lord Monckton is taken seriously. If elected – and polling has him well placed to win the next election – he has promised to repeal the carbon tax.
A Labor prime minister, Julia Gillard, who does believe in climate change, nevertheless advised her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, to abandon his emissions trading scheme. In consequence, Rudd’s electoral support vanished and he was replaced a few months later by the same Julia Gillard who promptly went to an election promising no carbon tax.
That there is to be any action at all is to the credit of the Greens, who won the balance of power in the Australian senate in that election and made the carbon tax the condition of their support for Gillard’s minority Labor party. But the package of measures now announced are far from what the Greens argue is necessary to combat climate change by a nation which in spite of its small (22 million) population is one of the world’s top 20 carbon polluters.
Perhaps it could not be otherwise. Australia has avoided recession because of its resource industries. Unemployment is just over 5%. The coal, iron and gas barons combine massive wealth with a certain psychological dominance – without us, where would Australia be? – which is implicit in all their public posturing and pressurising. They interpret national interest as their profit and loss ledger and that, they regard, along with their successful bullying of public life, as being under attack from a carbon tax.
…
Read the full article with full links in The Guardian, HERE
• Vica Bayley, The Wilderness Society: Big benefits
BIG BENEFITS FOR TAS ENVIRONMENT IN FEDERAL CARBON ANNOUNCEMENT
The Federal Government’s climate change policy presents significant opportunities for environmental benefits in Tasmania. The plan recognises the carbon stored in natural ecosystems and via the billion dollar biodiversity fund, Tasmania should see positive protection and restoration outcomes on both public and private land.
Protecting carbon-rich ecosystems like forests is one of the best ways of tackling climate change and a key policy recommendation of the recent Climate Commissions report, said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.
The billion dollar biodiversity fund will present a new financial base to see critical areas of forests, woodlands and grasslands protected, managed and the stored carbon secured from the risk of degrading activities like logging and clearing.
Via the natural process of sequestration, protecting and restoring these ecosystems will also contribute to the global challenge of reducing carbon dioxide already emitted into the atmosphere.
The announcement that native forest biomass would not be eligible for Renewable Energy Certificates removes the threat of burning our forests to generate electricity. This places further confidence in the progress of the Statement of Principles process and government engagement.
Removing the perverse view that burning forests could be eligible for renewable energy support is a welcome policy response to years of campaign work by environment and community groups across Australia.
This announcement represents the first tangible delivery on a principle from the Statement of Principles agreement.
Timber industry, union and conservation groups agreed to this policy outcome for Tasmania in the Statement of Principles and yesterdays announcement represents welcome progress in the implementation of the many outcomes of that agreement.
The Wilderness Society hopes that the governments recognition of the important role Australias native forests play in locking up carbon will translate into action to implement other outcomes of the historic statement of principles, including the formal protection of identified areas of Tasmanias native forests in reserves like National Parks.
• The Australia Institute: Has the PM knocked the brick wall down, HERE
• Richard Colbeck: Science says they are wrong but Greens blunder on
SENATOR THE HON RICHARD COLBECK
Senator for Tasmania
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry and Science
M E D I A R E L E A S E
11 July 2011
Banning the use of native forest biomass for renewable energy production proves there is a Green tail wagging the Federal Labor dog.
“The announcement that native forest biomass will be excluded as an eligible renewable energy resource under the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme is clearly a Greens sweetener,” Senator Colbeck said.
“There is no doubt this decision is a case of the Greens tail wagging the Labor dog.
“Science has proven the Greens are wrong on this issue but they continue to blunder on and now they are depriving Australia of a cost-effective source of sustainable renewable energy.
“This is more about Greens prejudice against a sustainable industry than it is about good policy or protecting biodiversity. The Greens spend a lot of time talking about science but they are more than happy to ignore it.
“This decision puts Australia way behind the rest of the world in developing sustainable forms of renewable energy.
“In 2008 about 27 per cent of Sweden’s total energy came from mostly woody biomass and Sweden’s target is to increase this to 39 per cent by 2020. The target for Finland is also 39 per cent by 2020.
“The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the European Biomass Industry have jointly released a plan to generate 15 per cent of energy in the OECD countries by 2020.
“In Australia – without touching another tree, twig or leaf – we could generate up to 3000 gigawatt hours of energy that is clearly renewable and, importantly, sustainable and cost effective.
“That opportunity is now lost to us because of Labor and the Greens.
“Just two weeks ago, 87 highly credentialed forest scientists wrote to the Government to tell them that the latest report from the Climate Commission was flawed in respect to its approach to the management of native forests.
“The scientists’ clear message was that it is wrong to just lock up our forests.
“This blind approach by the Labor/Greens government means an opportunity lost for Australia and in particular it is a blow to regional timber communities that have yet again been shut out by prejudice over science,” Senator Colbeck said.
Download
– – Joint letter from 87 highly credentialed forest scientists
– – WWF & European Biomass Industry joint plan:
WWF_-_biomassleaflet.pdf
Letter_to_Will_Steffen.pdf
And,
REX warns Carbon Tax will decimate regional air services like Burnie-Melbourne route
Today’s announcement from Regional Express Airlines is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to negatives impacts that the Carbon Tax will bring to Tasmanians, Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck said.
“Because of the Carbon Tax and other Gillard Government bungles, the future viability of the Burnie-Melbourne REX service is under even more pressure” Senator Colbeck said.
“These very real negative impacts are the reason that the Coalition opposes the Carbon Tax.
“REX had already warned that the Burnie route was under reviews in part because of moves by the Federal Government to remove the en-route rebate scheme, increase fuel excise charges and force regional airlines to pay for increased security screening measures.
“Qantas, which operates a Devonport-Melbourne service, has also warned it is unable to absorb the additional costs that the carbon tax will bring and its domestic fares will rise.
“The extra costs that come with the carbon tax will force businesses like REX and Qantas to make tough decision and the losers will North West travellers and businesses who will pay more for air services – or in the case of REX, go without.
“Labor’s so-called compensation package will be of no help to families and businesses if REX pulls out of Burnie,” Senator Colbeck said.
And,
12 July, 2012
Carbon tax triple whammy for King Island
The Labor-Greens Carbon Tax will hit King Island with a government-imposed triple whammy of increased costs for power, sea transport and air fares.
“The Carbon Tax hits King Island in all the places that it hurts the most,” Senator Colbeck said.
“All these costs are already significant issues for King Island and they will only be made worse by the carbon tax.
“All airlines have warned that because of the current economic climate that they will be forced to pass 100% of costs through to passengers.
“The cost of fuel for coastal shipping will have a new impost under the carbon tax and on the governments own modelling this will be 10% on top of other forecast increases.
“And these are just the price increases expected in the first year, the tax will be indexed by 2.5% above inflation every year.
“The Federal Government has forgotten that isolated communities like King Island depend on air and sea transport.
“Braddon MP Sid Sidebottom should have been standing up for communities like King Island, not sitting back waiting for Julia Gillard and Bob Brown to tell him what to say,” Senator Colbeck said.
• Windfall predicted for Hydro Tasmania
BY LORETTA JOHNSTON
11 Jul, 2011 08:34 AM
A POSSIBLE $200 million windfall to Hydro Tasmania from the carbon price scheme should be used to help alleviate electricity price rises, independent Denison MHR Andrew Wilkie said.
Mr Wilkie said yesterday that the money should be returned to the Tasmanian community “in one way or another”.
“I don’t want that money to go into some state government black hole; I want it to be used wisely for developing our electricity infrastructure and redevelop it … to allow discounts for some customers, perhaps even retain discounts,” he said.
Mr Wilkie said he would be “very disappointed” if the price of electricity in Tasmania rose at the same rate as that in other states, which do not have the same level of renewable energy.
With the price of electricity set nationally and likely to rise because of the carbon price, Hydro Tasmania will be able to charge more but will not be required to pay the tax like coal-fired power generators.
That should generate the Hydro windfall.
• Dennis Shanahan, The Australian: Labor support collapses to 27pc in latest Newspoll:
EXCLUSIVE: Dennis Shanahan
From: The Australian
July 12, 2011 12:00AM
LABOR’S support has slumped to a record low, with the Coalition sitting at all-time highs as Tony Abbott extends his lead as preferred prime minister over Julia Gillard.
In the two-week lead-up to Sunday’s announcement of the carbon tax details, Labor’s primary vote fell three percentage points to a record low of 27 per cent, while the Coalition’s support rose three points to 49 per cent for its highest primary vote since the Howard government in October 2001.
Even with a steady Greens vote of 12 per cent favouring Labor on preferences, the Coalition recorded its highest two-party-preferred vote of 58 per cent and the ALP its lowest of 42 per cent based on preference flows at the August election last year. The Coalition’s two-party-preferred vote is the second biggest in Newspoll history, with the previous record of 63 per cent to 37 per cent set by Kevin Rudd’s Labor government during its honeymoon period in early 2008 over the Brendan Nelson-led Coalition.
The Australian HERE for the rest
• SENATOR DAVID BUSHBY
Liberal Senator for Tasmania
Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate
Chair of the Senate Economics References Committee
Carbon Tax a huge blow to Flinders Island
The Labor-Greens Carbon Tax is a huge blow to the Flinders Island economy with government-imposed increases to the costs of power, sea transport and air fares.
“Island Communities such as Flinders rely on affordable transport to survive and have no choice but to use these services,” Senator David Bushby said today.
“All these costs are already significant issues for Flinders Island and they will only be made worse by the carbon tax.
“All airlines have warned that because of the current economic climate that they will be forced to pass 100% of costs through to passengers.
“The cost of fuel for coastal shipping will have a new impost under the carbon tax and on the government’s own modelling this will be 10% on top of other forecast increases.
“And these are just the price increases expected in the first year, the tax will be indexed by 2.5% above inflation every year” said Senator Bushby
“Bass MP Geoff Lyons should be standing up for communities like Flinders Island, instead of acting as a puppet for Julia Gillard and Bob Brown. Tasmanians have been failed by Labor” Senator
Bushby said.
