Latest news with #WestAustralians
Perth Now
12 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
12 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.
Sydney Morning Herald
21 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
WA business owners are being frustrated by butt-covering bureaucracy
WA Energy Minister Reece Whitby raised some eyebrows back in February when he said he suspected 'there's a nerdy little bureaucrat in an agency in Canberra somewhere who's trying to cover his butt'. The issue at hand was Woodside's North West Shelf expansion, which after going through a six-year approvals process with the WA regulator (in addition to being subject to numerous, lengthy legal challenges) was subject to a further game of federal political football. The Woodside experience of delay, disruption, duplicative and cumbersome approvals processes does not help Western Australia, or Australia, attract the investment dollars which companies will otherwise put to use developing resources and creating jobs elsewhere in the world. But it's not just about Woodside and other large companies who are, relatively speaking, more able to deal with this kind of costly (and sometimes vexatious) dithering and delay. As the WA Liberal spokesperson for deregulation and public sector reform, I've heard firsthand how excessive legislation and red tape is stifling free enterprise and entrepreneurship. From farmers in the Wheatbelt to retail shopkeepers in Perth, West Australians who want to run a business and build a future for their family and their community are frustrated. They are frustrated by the very same kind of 'butt-covering bureaucracies' that Whitby described. They are frustrated not only by the constantly expanding rules and costs placed on them by government, but by the time it takes to obtain permission to do anything. And by the fact that they are part of the ever-shrinking tax base asked to pay the salaries of those who dream up new rules and fail to deliver a reasonable level of service to those asked to comply with them.
The Age
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
WA business owners are being frustrated by butt-covering bureaucracy
WA Energy Minister Reece Whitby raised some eyebrows back in February when he said he suspected 'there's a nerdy little bureaucrat in an agency in Canberra somewhere who's trying to cover his butt'. The issue at hand was Woodside's North West Shelf expansion, which after going through a six-year approvals process with the WA regulator (in addition to being subject to numerous, lengthy legal challenges) was subject to a further game of federal political football. The Woodside experience of delay, disruption, duplicative and cumbersome approvals processes does not help Western Australia, or Australia, attract the investment dollars which companies will otherwise put to use developing resources and creating jobs elsewhere in the world. But it's not just about Woodside and other large companies who are, relatively speaking, more able to deal with this kind of costly (and sometimes vexatious) dithering and delay. As the WA Liberal spokesperson for deregulation and public sector reform, I've heard firsthand how excessive legislation and red tape is stifling free enterprise and entrepreneurship. From farmers in the Wheatbelt to retail shopkeepers in Perth, West Australians who want to run a business and build a future for their family and their community are frustrated. They are frustrated by the very same kind of 'butt-covering bureaucracies' that Whitby described. They are frustrated not only by the constantly expanding rules and costs placed on them by government, but by the time it takes to obtain permission to do anything. And by the fact that they are part of the ever-shrinking tax base asked to pay the salaries of those who dream up new rules and fail to deliver a reasonable level of service to those asked to comply with them.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Climate
- Perth Now
Why do Aussies live in denial about winter?
West Australians like to live in denial about a lot of things: the correct name for a halal snack pack, the belief you will be able to find two degrees of separation from anyone if only you ask what high school they went to, and the fact that not everyone could have possibly seen INXS/Pendulum/Tame Impala (pick your generation) before they were famous. But the thing we really bury our heads in the sand about is the widespread misconception that WA 'doesn't really have a winter'. 'Winter?' we ask smugly when travelling in colder climes. We say the word slowly as if we're not entirely sure of the pronunciation. 'Oh we're from Australia,' we say. 'Our winter is more like your summer.' But deep down, in our heart of hearts, we know: this is a lie. Australian winters are bloody freezing. Sure, the temperature may not drop to minus 20, and the daily highs hover around the late teens. But unlike in properly cold places, we don't accommodate for the freezing weather. Indoor heating? Just chuck an extra doona on! Proper jackets? Grab a flanno and some uggs. Winter? Barely knew 'er! Life with Leandro. Credit: Instagram But this seems to be the year we're being called out. Social media is filled with expats from colder climes exposing our folly that it doesn't really get cold Down Under. On Instagram a Swiss man with the handle @ posted a video of himself trying to warm up in front of an open kitchen oven. 'Apparently the coldest place in Australia is our bathroom,' Leandro wrote. 'When it's 8C outside it's 8C inside. Someone please tell Aussie builders how to insulate homes. Fellow expats DO YOU FEEL MEE?!?!' They did. The thousands of comments included insights such as: 'I am Mongolian living in Australia, in Mongolia even the kids toy houses have thicker walls than here.' And 'From Finland and omg, I don't think I have ever complained about the cold weather as much as while living here. It is so damn cold in the house.' One person simply wrote: 'I open the fridge to warm my kitchen.' As the Germans like to say, 'there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing'. Us Australians like to say 'there is no such thing as bad weather' as we settle down in the living room to watch Dancing With The Stars dressed like Scott of the Antarctic. Dutch lifestyle brand Stoov is on to us. They sent an email to a colleague last week spruiking their latest products — electric blankets, fancy hot-water bottles and the like. They seem to be aware Aussies can get a little defensive whenever someone points out it's not hot here all the time. 'Australians have always been laid-back with a resourceful attitude and winter is no exception,' Stoov said, sucking up. 'The latest research by Stoov reveals 51 per cent of Aussies admit to having weird habits to stay warm during the winter, like heating up socks in the microwave or using a hairdryer to warm their clothes. A respondent even mentioned 'when I feel like having a cold smoothie/salad, I get in a hot bath to eat them so that it stops me from feeling cold'.' OK, you can stop judging us now. We get it. We need to sit in a warm bath to suffer through a cold drink. We're fooling no one here. It's probably time to face facts: winter in Australia is a slog. We would do something about it but it'll be summer again soon. In the meantime we'll chuck on a few extra layers and pretend like leaving the house is a reasonable thing to do. I see Pendulum are playing a show in August. You know, I saw them before they were famous . . .
