POWER ON: Coker says new hub will charge up local renewables projects

THE Geelong region would get up to $10 million towards supporting local renewables projects that reduce power bills under an election pledge made by Labor candidate for Corangamite Libby Coker earlier this week.

Under the plan, part of Labor’s $100 million Community Renewables Program, Ms Coker said the electorate of Corangamite would be the home of one of 10 Community Power Hubs, which will support the development, coordination and financing of local projects to increase the uptake of renewables, including through solar PV and batteries Supported projects would include solar gardens on rooftops, community wind farms, energy efficiency upgrades for social housing, and grants for community groups to pilot new projects.

Ms Coker and Shadow Minister for Climate Change Mark Butler spoke about the Community Power Hub at a public meeting at Grant Pavilion in Torquay North on Monday attended by about 60 people.

Ms Coker said the hub would work with the existing efforts of collectives such as the Barwon Region Alliance for Community Energy (BRACE) and its member groups such as 100% Clean Bellarine, Anglesea Community Energy,
Barwon Sustainable Energy Alliance, Colac Otway Sustainability Group, Geelong Sustainability Group, and Surf Coast Energy Group.

Mr Butler said Australians were “probably better than any other country in individually switching to renewable energy” and there were several statesupported renewables projects, including in Victoria, but “a group that we’ve identified as missing out on some of these revolutions is people who don’t own their own roofs”.

The audience was not exclusively friendly, as the pair endured several pointed questions on issues including Labor’s policy on renewables and targets for climate change – including separate questioners arguing the targets were too high and not high enough – baseload power, and Equinor’s proposal to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight.

Perhaps the most direct question of all came from one of the five Surf Coast Secondary College students in the audience, who asked “why do you think you should be part of the in Parliament and why do you think you’re better than the Liberals?”

In response, Mr Butler said climate change was probably the policy with the biggest gap between Labor and the Liberals, “and I think that makes a real difference”.