Latest news with #Amber-JadeSanderson
Perth Now
9 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
West Aussies sign up for solar battery rebate scheme before plan rolls out on Tuesday
More than 23,000 West Australians have registered their interest to install a solar battery in their homes before a scheme offering a $5000 rebate and interest-free loans has even opened. The State-Federal plan officially opens on Tuesday for up to 100,000 households, with West Aussies who have already registered their expression of interest also receiving an email with further details the same day. Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the strong interest showed many people saw the financial and environmental benefits of solar power. 'We have some of the biggest uptake of household solar of anywhere in the world,' Ms Sanderson said. 'There are times in our grid when it is run by 80 per cent of households' solar. 'We need households to be able to harness that energy and we need the system to be able to access that energy in the battery as well. That's why we have made this commitment to provide rebates to households.' Prior to the March State election, the Cook Government made a $387 million commitment to offer West Aussies the $5000 rebate to purchase and install a home battery, with regional households able to access up to $17,500. It was initially going to be made available to 20,000 homes across the State, along with a no-interest loan of $10,000. But this has now expanded to 100,000 households by hooking up with the Federal Government's Cheaper Home Batteries scheme, which will see successful applicants receive the $5000 rebate, with the State Government contributing $1300 per household. No-interest loans up to $10,000 for households with a combined annual income of less than $210,000 will also be provided, with loan repayments periods of up to 10 years. According to Government estimates, households can save about $1500 annually by installing a battery and solar panels. 'People should go to the WA Residential Rebate Scheme web page,' Ms Sanderson said. 'It contains all the information about how to apply for the rebates and the no-interest loans and how the scheme works. 'And there will be information on accredited battery retailers and installers, and approved products. Customers must choose from those accredited retailers and installers.' The average sized battery system costs around $10,000 to $12,000 to purchase and install.
West Australian
9 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
West Aussies sign up for solar battery rebate scheme before plan rolls out on Tuesday
More than 23,000 West Australians have registered their interest to install a solar battery in their homes before a scheme offering a $5000 rebate and interest-free loans has even opened. The State-Federal plan officially opens on Tuesday for up to 100,000 households, with West Aussies who have already registered their expression of interest also receiving an email with further details the same day. Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the strong interest showed many people saw the financial and environmental benefits of solar power. 'We have some of the biggest uptake of household solar of anywhere in the world,' Ms Sanderson said. 'There are times in our grid when it is run by 80 per cent of households' solar. 'We need households to be able to harness that energy and we need the system to be able to access that energy in the battery as well. That's why we have made this commitment to provide rebates to households.' Prior to the March State election, the Cook Government made a $387 million commitment to offer West Aussies the $5000 rebate to purchase and install a home battery, with regional households able to access up to $17,500. It was initially going to be made available to 20,000 homes across the State, along with a no-interest loan of $10,000. But this has now expanded to 100,000 households by hooking up with the Federal Government's Cheaper Home Batteries scheme, which will see successful applicants receive the $5000 rebate, with the State Government contributing $1300 per household. No-interest loans up to $10,000 for households with a combined annual income of less than $210,000 will also be provided, with loan repayments periods of up to 10 years. According to Government estimates, households can save about $1500 annually by installing a battery and solar panels. 'People should go to the WA Residential Rebate Scheme web page,' Ms Sanderson said. 'It contains all the information about how to apply for the rebates and the no-interest loans and how the scheme works. 'And there will be information on accredited battery retailers and installers, and approved products. Customers must choose from those accredited retailers and installers.' The average sized battery system costs around $10,000 to $12,000 to purchase and install.
Sky News AU
17-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Western Australia extends program offering tradies $10,000 to relocate to the west in bid to galvanise housing supply
The Western Australian government's Build a Life in WA program has received a major cash boost, as the state seeks to entice construction Aussie workers to relocate to the state. The WA state budget will include a $12.3 million cash expansion for the bold program, which offers skilled tradies from other states and New Zealand $10,000 to move to the state. The move comes as dwelling completion rates in the state continue surge, with hundreds of tradies already heeding the call to pack up their tools and travel west. Since its inception 361 tradies have signed up for the scheme, with a further 658 waiting to be approved. The WA government also extended its Construction Visa Subsidy program which provides employers with increased incentives to sponsor overseas construction workers to move to WA. Skills and TAFE Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the extension of both schemes was crucial to the state's $37.5 million plan to shore up construction capabilities and alleviate labour shortages in the wake of the Covid pandemic. 'This investment will fund an additional 1100 workers to come in from other areas, other countries, other states, and settle in WA,' Ms Sanderson said. 'To date, this program has supported 849 skilled workers into the construction sector and supported businesses to bring them in to build our houses.' This is the third time the Construction Visa Subsidy scheme has been extended and has primarily drawn tradies from the UK and Ireland to the state. Ms Sanderson said that a targeted add campaign would be implemented to attract more workers from other parts of the globe, with over 70 per cent of applicants currently coming from New Zealand. 'The key is the trades, not where they come from,' Mr Sanderson said. Brayden Laing, a New Zealand carpenter, told The West Australian he stumbled upon the scheme on social media and that the $10,000 lump sum allowed him to invest in new tools and secure a residence for himself and his partner in Perth. 'It really helped us get over here,' the 25-year-old said, and added 'It's a good place to live.' Mr Laing said he regularly encourages his colleagues and friends in New Zealand to apply for the program. 'Definitely word-of-mouth gets around and New Zealand is a small place,' he said. 'We saw it as an opportunity to come over here and try to get ahead financially.' Housing and Works minister John Carey said the state government would also continue to provide a variety of subsidised TAFE courses for tradies, allowing the states workforce to upskill free of charge. 'We are looking at it from every angle,' he said.
West Australian
15-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Labor's decision on power credits at Thursday's State Budget comes as government marks 100 days of third term
Labor ministers have backed curbing cost of living support in favour of more targeted measures, as households face life without power bill credits. Asked on Sunday whether she believed Labor should continue the $400 annual rebate on electricity bills, Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the Government had committed to keeping rises below the inflation rate of 2.8 per cent. 'Cost of living measures should be targeted to support people who are doing it tough,' she said. 'We'll obviously continue to monitor it, and we continue to support the community through a range of cost of living measures, including the WA schools assistance payment, and of course, we'll have the Commonwealth rebate coming very shortly through power bills.' The decision on credits will be revealed in Thursday's State Budget, which comes in the week the Government marks the first 100 days of its third term. Premier Roger Cook said his government had been focused on jobs, health and housing. 'In just 100 days, we've seen the growth of our resources sector, delivered major elements of our Made in WA plan and seen major milestones in our efforts to turn WA into a renewable energy powerhouse,' he said. 'We're also collaborating even more closely with industry, in our efforts to make our economy more resilient and remain the strongest economy in the nation. 'Importantly, we have deepened our relationship with the Federal Government, and it's great to have their ear on things like the GST, the North-west shelf and the need for environmental reforms that deliver greater certainty for industry and better outcomes for the environment.'
West Australian
08-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Steve Martin: Green hydrogen can't solve WA's impending energy woes
When the Premier announced a new Energy Minister in March, we were optimistic Amber-Jade Sanderson would bring a fresh and practical approach and a practical and responsible view to the energy debate. For far too long the State Government has been talking big about the upcoming energy transition but delivering mighty small. In an opinion piece in The West this month, Ms Sanderson said her 'job is supporting our heavy industry to decarbonise to meet national emissions targets'.That is only one part of her job and not her first and most important responsibility. Her first job is to keep the lights on and power running to all the houses, businesses and heavy industries that need it, and to do it at a cost that householders, businesses, and industries can afford. The Government's lack of a clear and coherent energy plan means they are on their way to failing their first responsibility. Fortunately for all West Australians, the Energy Minister admitted that gas was needed as a transition fuel. It was good to see Premier Roger Cook also support gas as an export commodity that can reduce emissions overseas and in turn resist a 2030 State target. The bad part was the reinforcement of the Government position that they are relying on green hydrogen to save their bacon. As reported by The West in May, a competitive target price for green hydrogen would be $2 per kilogram, but a trial running in WA, partially funded by taxpayers, is producing the hydrogen at $24.50 a kilo. With a price 10 times the competitive rate, it is no wonder green hydrogen projects are being abandoned at a rapid rate. In the State Government's other trial of green hydrogen in Denham last year, it turned out it took 379,503 kWh of wind energy to be converted into 1,422kg of hydrogen, which was then converted back into a tiny 16,044 kWh of electricity being returned to the grid. In other words, a paltry 4 per cent of the energy used to make green hydrogen made it into the grid as electricity. They would have been 96 per cent better off just transmitting the power straight from wind turbines into the grid. If the Labor Party is relying on green hydrogen to save the day, I suggest we all start cutting and storing firewood and buying matches. The State Government's current energy plan simply won't work. It is underfunded, and about to run out of time. There is not enough generation, distribution, or storage in the current Government plan to fulfil its first and primary obligation of providing enough affordable energy for homes and businesses. The real danger is energy prices are about to rise and rise dramatically. WA has been somewhat insulated from power price rises compared to the eastern States, but we are about to start catching up. Businesses are the Government's first targets, with new contracts in Synergy's contestable markets seeing price increases of 25 to 45 per cent on total power bills. This is the first sign that the system is broken and not being fixed. Households have been protected from this pain, so far, but you shouldn't expect that will last. The mismanagement of the power system in this State means taxpayers are subsidising it to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars every year. While being hit with regular ongoing price increases, households have been hidden from the real pain of major price increases. But that cannot last, especially if green hydrogen is the proposed solution to the problem. The State Government needs to find real, practical energy solutions, otherwise families will start to feel the pain that businesses have been suffering the last few years. Steve Martin is the shadow energy minister
