Media
release - 12 May 2009 - The Australian Government
will continue to build the scientific understanding
of climate change through $31.2 million
in funding over four years for its Australian
Climate Change Science Program.
The Government is also
supporting climate change research by providing
$387.7 million over five years to fund infrastructure
that is critical for climate change science.
The Super Science Initiative: Marine and
Climate helps to address critical infrastructure
needs and deliver facilities that will enhance
Australia's existing research strengths
in marine and climate science.
The Initiative will
fund high performance computing, additional
marine observing systems, terrestrial ecosystem
observations and replacement of the Marine
National Facility.
"Quality scientific
research is essential to underpin the Australian
Government's comprehensive policy response
to climate change," Minister for Climate
Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong said.
"Australian scientists
are already making an important and unique
contribution to building global understanding
of climate change.
"However, our climate
change science community is facing new challenges
and we need more detailed information on
the causes, nature and consequences of climate
change to develop effective adaptation strategies
and reduce our carbon emissions."
The Government has also
adopted a new Australian Climate Change
Science Framework. This Framework sets national
climate change science priorities for the
next decade. It identifies the science capabilities,
human capital and infrastructure investment
needed to deliver on these priorities; and
sets out ways to harness our full science
capacity to address those priorities.
A high-level coordination
group, chaired by Australia's Chief Scientist,
will develop an implementation plan to ensure
that all organisations with a significant
climate change research capacity contribute
to meeting Australia's priority climate
change science information needs.
+ More
Streamlining the Australian
Government's climate change programs and
making Energy Efficient choices even easier
Joint Media release
- 12 May 2009 - The Australian Government
will invest $64.6 million over four years
as part of its contribution to the National
Strategy on Energy Efficiency to help Australians
choose more energy efficient appliances,
homes and buildings, and make residential
and commercial buildings more energy efficient.
Environment Minister
Peter Garrett said the new suite of measures
demonstrated the Government's commitment
to encouraging action on energy efficiency
across all sectors of Australian society.
"This investment
builds on the Government's $3.9 billion
Energy Efficient Homes program, driving
further energy efficiency across Australia,"
Mr Garrett said.
"The expansion
of energy efficiency labelling and minimum
performance standards will help consumers
buy more energy efficient appliances, reducing
household energy bills and encouraging innovation
in smart, cost-saving technologies.
"Australians will
also be able to make meaningful comparisons
when assessing the environmental performance
of buildings. Whether you are buying a home
or leasing a large commercial building,
energy performance ratings will be made
available to help you factor in the benefits
of energy efficiency as part of the decision-making
process.
"Improvements to
the 2010 Building Code of Australia will
increase energy efficiency requirements
for homes and commercial buildings.
"Collectively,
these measures lay the foundation for a
nationally consistent approach to energy
efficiency, helping households, businesses
and the community to lower their energy
use and save money. By becoming more efficient,
we will help to reduce the energy intensity
of the Australian economy overall, which
is critical in our transition to a low pollution
future," Mr Garrett said.
The eight energy efficiency
measures announced as part of the National
Strategy on Energy Efficiency in the 2009-10
Budget are:
Appliances and equipment
Implementing enhanced
energy efficiency labelling - $18.3 million
over four years.
Expansion of minimum performance standards
for appliances and equipment - $16.6 million
over four years
Residential buildings
Increasing energy efficiency
requirements for residential buildings -
$8.7 million over four years.
Disclosure of energy performance of residential
buildings - $7.8 million over four years.
Commercial buildings
Disclosure of commercial
building energy efficiency - $5.3 million
over four years.
Improvements to the Building Code of Australia
requirements for commercial buildings -
$3.3 million over four years.
Commercial building rating tools - $2.6
million over four years.
Improvements in heating, ventilation and
air conditioning systems - $2.0 million
over three years.
These measures build on the unprecedented
support Government has committed to improving
energy efficiency since the 2008-09 Budget,
including the $3.9 billion Energy Efficient
Homes program.
This package of new
and streamlined measures has been developed
in response to the recommendations made
in the Strategic Review of Australian Government
Climate Change Programs, which has been
released today with the Government's response
to the recommendations.
This package of new
and streamlined measures has been developed
in response to the recommendations made
in the Strategic Review of Australian Government
Climate Change Programs, which has been
released today with the Government's response
to the recommendations.
"Streamlining climate
change programs is an important part of
the Government's climate change strategy.
It will ensure the community receives value
for money and the challenge of addressing
climate change is dealt with effectively
and at the lowest cost to the economy,"
Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator
Penny Wong said.
The Review considered
58 active climate change programs. It made
recommendations about whether they align
with the Rudd Government's broader climate
change strategy or should be considered
transitional programs.
"This will ensure
the best use of taxpayer funds, with expenditure
being focused on better targeted programs
to combat climate change," Minister
for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner
said.
"I would like to
thank Mr Roger Wilkins AO for his expertise,
time and effort in conducting this Review.
The Government welcomes his views on its
climate change programs and his broader
recommendations on climate change policy,"
Minister Tanner said.
A copy of the Strategic
Review of Australian Government Climate
Change Programs report is available at www.finance.gov.au/publications.
The Government's response
to the Review is available at www.environment.gov.au/minister/wong/2009/wilkinsresponse.html
