Greens pledge to help farmers save energy

THE Australian Greens have strengthened their grab for the rural vote at this year's federal election, pledging $100 million in grants for farmers to save electricity and install solar and wind power.

Greens leader Christine Milne will release the Greens' new farm energy policy in a speech to the NSW Farmers annual conference in Sydney today, building on her claim that the Greens are the political party most in tune with the interests of farmers and regional Australia.

Senator Milne said yesterday the $100m farm energy program would become a policy priority pushed by the Greens after this year's federal election, regardless of who wins power.

She claimed only the Greens were prepared to help farmers switch to cleaner energy sources and cut their power bills.

"That's because Tony Abbott doesn't believe in climate change, and Kevin Rudd has to find billions to fund his backflip on carbon pricing," she said.

Farmers in the dairy, horticulture, irrigated cropping and intensive piggery and poultry industries often have sky-high power bills, as they rely on electricity to cool fruit and vegetable storage sheds, power irrigation pumps, chill and sterilise milk vats, drive milking machines and heat laying and pig sheds. "These farmers have high energy usage and need additional help on the farm to upgrade their equipment to save money and become more efficient," Senator Milne said.

"The Greens understand that and recognise the potential for renewable energy to help farmers lower their costs and increase their business sustainability."

Senator Milne said the grants would be open to food producers and farmers as an extension of the existing and successful Clean Technology, Food and Foundry Grants program, funded through government low-carbon and climate change initiatives but restricted to manufacturers and food processors.

Farmers must be able to demonstrate high-energy usage and the ability to upgrade equipment to improve energy efficiency, or to install renewable energy systems such as wind turbines or solar panels to run their power-intensive operations, to qualify for the Greens' grants.

Senator Milne said Australia's agricultural sector was expected to be one of the hardest hit by climate change.

"Government assistance to increase the resilience of the sector and Australia's food security by improving overall sustainability by targeting improved energy efficiency, water use efficiency and increased deployment of renewable energy is in the public interest," she said.

"Switching to renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency also builds Australia's reputation for clean, green and high quality food."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/greens-pledge-to-help-f...

cods wrote on Jul 19^th, 2013 at 7:53am:

You been living under a rock? People in the cities have had sh it loads of handouts for solar, just drive around any city and look at the panels on roofs.
This is a good idea, I'm not surprised the loony right are bagging it.

skippy. wrote on Jul 19^th, 2013 at 7:57am:

you talking about the solar panels subsided by those who rent and don't and cant have solar panels?

BlOoDy RiPpEr wrote on Jul 19^th, 2013 at 7:59am:





WE NEED LAWS THAT MAKE THESE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THESE PROMISES EXPLAIN THAT..

EVEN IF THEY CLAIM THE MINING TAX WILL PAY FOR IT.. IN THE END WE WILL.


isnt the farm being taken over by the Chinese.??? oh they will be pleased.

cods wrote on Jul 19^th, 2013 at 8:10am:

I tried that once but the police seem to have a problem with my indoor farming, so I had to give it away

BlOoDy RiPpEr wrote on Jul 19^th, 2013 at 8:31am:



they do spoil sports.. however if you grow big trees first like a pine forest.. and then the other... it wouldnt be seen from the sky.. thats what gives it away...I am thinking one crop would do it for me..LOL Im not greedy

____ wrote on Jul 19^th, 2013 at 8:36am:




greeny the world is not going to end tomorrow... BELIEVE ME it wont so stop PANICKING..


as I have said many times.. the way everything in the world is changing and at the rate its changing..  it wont be long before we have found the answer to all these problems you come up with..havent you noticed everything is changing almost daily..

would you really like to be dependent on a life saving machine...only to have it fail when the sun didnt shine?? or the wind didnt blow for days..or even weeks..

come on relax... it wont happen over night but it will happen..be positive for a change.. you are so negative.

____ wrote on Jul 19^th, 2013 at 7:01am:



Only the greens would think that the major energy cost to farming is running the beer fridge. 


Here is a hint morons, tractors and farm machinery don't run on electricity and consumes vast amount of expensive energy in the form of a liquid.

Can you guess what it is?