climateXchange

Canberra Loves 40% public forum on 23 November was packed out. Not everyone could fit in the room at the Legislative Assembly venue.

The forum marks over a year since the ACT Government established its 40% emissions reduction target.

Minister Simon Corbell and Shane Rattenbury of the ACT Greens spoke about progress since the target was set last year.

Simon Corbell said that options for mass transit on Northbourne Avenue will be issued soon. Next year the Government will award contracts for two large solar farms under its large-scale feed-in tariff scheme, and introduce major energy efficiency legislation aimed at assisting 70,000 households become more energy efficient. Legislation will require ActewAGL to help households, especially low income households, to reduce their energy use.

Shane Rattenbury expressed some frustration with progress in addressing the emissions reduction target. He said he didn't have majority Legislative Assembly support yet for his rental property measures. He criticised the Government for capping the feed-in tariff instead of gradually reducing the price. He said the ACT Government's energy policy doesn't address what the energy mix should be, and that only 4 out of the 27 measures are tangible.