Green technology is expanding across Australia. In Victoria, the Government helping farmers to prepare for and respond to climate change via investments of nearly $20 million to reduce emissions, and the Northern Territory’s Budget 2021 highlights continued investment to deliver affordable, clean, reliable and stable energy for Territorians.
Victoria – backing farmers to move to a cleaner, greener future
The Andrews Labor Government is providing a clear path forward for farmers to prepare for and respond to climate change, backed by investments of almost $20 million to reduce emissions.
The Agriculture Sector Pledge has been developed by the Labor Government to work in partnership with industry over the next four years, to create a shared vision about the sector’s role in a net-zero emissions economy.
A Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Statement will be shaped by the Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council (VACCC) – an independent advisory council comprised of farmers, industry leaders and climate change experts with experience and connections across agricultural commodities and regional communities.
Funding will accelerate a range of projects, including $3.9 million for research into agriculture emissions reduction technologies and practices. This includes flagship trials to reduce methane on dairy cow farms with feed additives like 3-NOP and seaweed, as well as collaborating on a national scale to enhance research and innovation.
A $15.4 million investment will provide information, tools and services to support adaptation and climate risk management across the agriculture sector so farmers and growers can measure and reduce on-farm emissions.
This will include updating the Victorian Land Use Information System and building an Agriculture Climate Spatial Tool to assist farmers to make tailored decisions based on different climate scenarios.
Direct grants from a $5 million pool will support up to 250 farmers to assess their climate risk and emissions profile and take action to reduce emissions and adapt to the changing climate.
Separately, the Government is supporting farmers through the $15.3 million Victorian Carbon Farming Program, which will provide incentives for landowners to sequester carbon by planting agroforestry and shelterbelt trees on their land while also increasing productivity and providing income.
All of this builds on the successful Agriculture Energy Investment Plan, which has provided around 800 free on-farm energy assessments and awarded more than 450 grants to farmers. A further $30 million investment in the program is being rolled out now, providing yet another avenue for private landholders to reduce emissions.
The investment aligns with the Victorian Agriculture Strategy, which works to protecting and enhancing the future of the sector by ensuring it is well placed to respond to climate change.
The Northern Territory – Budget 2021: Affordable, Clean and Reliable Energy for Territorians
Budget 2021 highlights the Territory Labor Government’s continued investment to deliver affordable, clean, reliable and stable energy for Territorians. This Budget will see the continuation of the successful Home and Business Battery Scheme, creating further jobs for Territorians and stability to the grid.
A further $2.8 million has been allocated to extend the scheme, which is expected to allow more than 460 homes and businesses to access the program.
The Home and Business Battery Scheme provides Territory homeowners and businesses with $6000 grants to either;
- Buy and install a solar photovoltaic (PV) system with an eligible battery or inverter, or
- Buy and install an eligible battery and inverter, to complement an existing solar PV system.
The first round of grants has enabled more Territorians to make the switch to renewable technology while also delivering stable, reliable and affordable power for families and Territory businesses.
More than 700 Territorian households and businesses have applied for the scheme, with over 510 applications approved worth $3 million in grant funding.
Spread out right across the Territory, the total value of approved works is $10.1 million.
Installing a battery means that rather than exporting electricity into the grid, the household or business can store the electricity for future use, a major cost-saving measure.
Other renewables Budget 21-22 measures include $2 million over the next two financial years to further the Renewable Remote Power Program, including the $1 million Remote Hydrogen program, which will:
- Develop an open and contestable delivery framework to facilitate around $400 million of private investment in remote power system services to communities supplied by Indigenous Essential Services.
- This initiative is targeting an aggregate 70 per cent renewables penetration in communities and will canvass investor interest in innovative renewable energy technologies, such as renewable hydrogen.
Along with extending the Home and Business Battery scheme, the Territory Labor Government is well underway with the procurement for a $30 million, 35MW Battery Energy Storage System for the Darwin to Katherine power system, and $6.6 million towards the Renewable Remote Power Program, beginning with a pilot program to replace the diesel power supply at Wurrumiyanga with renewable technology.
