The Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Renewable Energy has failed to acknowledge the positive contribution that waste-energy and hydrogen can make in helping Victoria achieve its commitment to net-zero by 2050.
In Parliament, the Liberals and Nationals released a minority report to address the shortcomings in the Inquiry Committee’s majority report.
Nationals Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy said, “It is disappointing to see that Labor and their Independent MP’s are failing to consider all renewable energy options and outcomes other technologies can make.”
The minority report recommended that Victoria should be leading the way when it comes to manufacturing components for wind and solar.
Currently only 11 per cent of components of these technologies are manufactured in Australia, with the remaining 89 per cent are being imported.
Mr McCurdy continued, “This narrow focus is pushing our renewable energy production outside of Australia and is leaving our local manufacturing behind.
“It’s time we replace imports in a sensible way to transition communities impacted by power station closures.”
In Parliament Mr McCurdy said, “I genuinely hope that the federal government works within its means to ensure that in the future our children and grandchildren and generations to come can all live in a stable environment and a sustainable environment.”
The Liberals and Nationals are committed to achieving a net-zero emissions by 2050 in a sensible and structured way if elected and have called on the Andrews Government to introduce bonds for large-scale solar energy facilities.