[Greens-Media] Media release: Greens announce plan to cut Dawson farm power bills with clean energy

[McLeod, Eleanor (Sen L. Waters)]

Senator Larissa Waters
Senator for Queensland
Media release
Monday, 22 July, 2013
Greens announce plan to cut Dawson farm power bills with clean energy
The Australian Greens' plan to lower on-farm energy bills would help farmers in the Mackay and Dawson region, said Senator Larissa Waters and Greens candidate for Dawson, Jonathon Dykyj, in Mackay today.
"Our plan would lower on-farm energy bills with $100 million in grants for energy-intensive farms to upgrade equipment for maximum efficiency or to install renewable energy," Senator Waters said.
"Horticulturalists in Dawson, and north Queensland more broadly, rely on cool storage and high energy usage, and they need help on the farm to upgrade their equipment to save money and become more efficient.
"Queensland has the highest number of vegetable growers nationally, with more than 1500 businesses, and there are more than 500 dairy farms in Queensland, which could benefit from these grants," Senator Waters said.
Greens candidate for Dawson, Jonathon Dykyj, said the plan would extend the benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency to farmers, who are struggling with rising costs in the Mackay region.
"The clean technology, food and foundry grants program for food processors, which came about as a result of the package negotiated with the Greens to tackle climate change, provided funding to Mackay Sugar to improve energy efficiency of mills and for co-generation burning of bagasse, which is now powering one third of Mackay's power needs.
"As well as seeing this program for food producers continue, the Greens also want to extend the benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency to farmers.
"Only the Greens have recognised the potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency to help farmers lower their costs and increase their business sustainability.
"With the mining industry dominating the local economy here, farmers have suffered increases in the cost of living, labour costs and skills shortages.
"This assistance for energy-intensive farms would be welcome relief for many and would strengthen our sustainable agricultural industry, preparing our local economy for the inevitable mining bubble burst," Mr Dykyj said.
You can read the full plan at http://greens.org.au/farm-energy.
Contacts:
Senator Waters - Monique Vandeleur 0419 626 725
Jonathon Dykyj 0407100346