Received

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 31 August 2023; Hits: 73

Australia's energy market regulator has warned of "significant risks" to reliability of supply without urgent investment in new sources of electricity and the transmission needed to connect it to consumers.

The warning comes in an Electricity Statement of Opportunities released on Thursday to provide an outlook for the National Electricity Market in the coming decade to help inform planning and policy decisions.

"This year's report highlights that Australia's energy transition is happening at pace," the statement from the Australian Energy Market Operator said.

"Our old coal-fired power stations are retiring, at the same time as demand for electricity is increasing.

"Without urgent and sustained investment in new sources of electricity, and the transmission needed to connect it to consumers, there are significant risks to reliability."

Roughly 62 per cent of Australia's coal power stations are expected to be retired by 2023, with unplanned outages from the ageing fleet also posing risks to grid stability.

The statement said planned generation, storage and transmission, supported by government programs "must be delivered urgently", with any delay likely to put reliability at risk over the coming decade.

It said reliability risks are forecast to exceed standards in several states in coming years, and as soon as the coming summer in Victoria and South Australia.

"This summer has more risk than the last few years. It is forecast to be hotter and drier, meaning that electricity demand will likely be higher. The industry is preparing so it can manage higher demand, but some elevated risk remains," the statement said.

Director at think tank Climate Energy Finance, Tim Buckley, said urgent action was needed from state and federal governments.

"The message is clear: accelerating the pace of energy transformation and transitioning our grid is critical to ensuring reliable energy supply and solving the current energy crisis precipitated by the hyperinflation of fossil fuels," he said.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the last five ESOO reports under the coalition government flagged supply concerns, heightened risks from coal outages and the need to incentivise continued supply.

"After a decade of energy policy chaos, the Albanese government is implementing overdue policy reform to deliver a cheaper, cleaner, more reliable energy system," Mr Bowen said.

"The latest (report) confirms our federal government programs, including Rewiring the Nation and the capacity investment scheme, will improve the strength of the grid and reduce reliability risks."

Asked if the former coalition government should take any responsibility for the concerning state of the energy system, Liberal senator James Paterson said there was "record investment" in renewables under the coalition government.

As a senator for Victoria, he was unsurprised the state was facing the possibility of blackouts under the Andrews government's energy policies.

"When you've got a state government here in Victoria which is putting extra taxes on coal-fired power generation, that has led to the inevitable circumstances we're seeing right now," he said.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 31 August 2023; Hits: 75

Armies of 'yes' and 'no' campaigners are set to hit the streets in the lead-up to the Indigenous voice referendum on October 14.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who announced the date in Adelaide on Wednesday, said the constitutional change was backed by politicians across all parties, as well as faith groups, sporting codes, unions and businesses.

"You are not being asked to vote for a political party or for a person, you're being asked to vote for an idea, to say 'yes' to an idea whose time has come," he said.

"An army of volunteers from every part of this great nation are throwing all of their energy behind it."

It will be the nation's first referendum in 24 years, with Australians asked to vote in favour of constitutional recognition of Indigenous people and to enshrine a permanent advisory body called the voice.

Success will require a majority of voters and a majority of states voting in favour.

If the referendum succeeds, the federal parliament will legislate the details of the voice's composition, functions, powers and procedures.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the government was deliberately keeping the detail of the voice secret until after the referendum.

"It is unknown and divisive and permanent and I believe very strongly that if you do not understand the detail because the prime minister is deliberately keeping it from you then vote 'no'," Mr Dutton said.

The Liberal leader's home state of Queensland is widely expected to vote majority 'no', while 'yes' case support is strong in Mr Albanese's state of NSW.

With Western Australia also tipped to reject the voice, South Australia and Tasmania will be key battlegrounds for the campaigns.

Prominent Indigenous lawyer and Yes campaigner Noel Pearson was optimistic despite the situation in Queensland and Western Australia.

"We have everything in front of us, we have a world to gain," Mr Pearson told ABC radio on Thursday.

He said the growing base of volunteers would be instrumental to the 'yes' campaign.

"We're not going to win this on social media, we're gonna win it at the train stations, in the malls, at the at the houses of people that we knock the doors on," he said.

Professor Megan Davis, an architect of the Uluru Statement from the Heart which led to the referendum, also said "face-to-face yarns" in communities will be the only path to success.

"What we found in our work is that in areas where undecided people come in, they more often leave as 'yes' because they get the facts unencumbered by ideological agenda," she said.

Early voting for the referendum begins on October 2, but because of a public holiday observed in the ACT, SA, NSW and Qld, those jurisdictions will open pre-polling on October 3.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 31 August 2023; Hits: 80

Campaigners for the Indigenous voice say the referendum will be won through "honest conversation" at train stations, shopping malls and family homes, not social media.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday the vote on changing the constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through an advisory body would be held on October 14.

Mr Albanese campaigned on Thursday in Tasmania, which along with South Australia is considered a crucial state in the poll.

Prominent Indigenous lawyer and Yes campaigner Noel Pearson was optimistic of a win for the 'yes' case, despite signs the 'no' case is dominant in Queensland and Western Australia.

"We have everything in front of us, we have a world to gain," Mr Pearson told ABC radio on Thursday.

He said the growing base of volunteers would be instrumental to the 'yes' campaign.

"We're not going to win this on social media, we're gonna win it at the train stations, in the malls, at the at the houses of people that we knock the doors on," he said.

"My belief is that this is to be won through honest conversation between Australians."

Mr Albanese was joined in Hobart by Tasmanian Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff, federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer and independent MP Andrew Wilkie, all of whom support the 'yes' case.

"It should be a moment of national unity, and I'm pleased that every premier and chief minister is supporting a 'yes' vote," Mr Albanese told reporters.

"This isn't something that's come from the Labor Party or the Liberal Party, this is something that has come from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves."

The Australian Electoral Commission has so far identified 10 threads of disinformation circulating on social media, ranging from the constitution being invalid to the referendum being "rigged".

Campaigning in Queensland, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney was confident the state would back the constitutional change.

"I have enormous faith in this state. This state is going to be loud and clear about justice and about doing the right thing, I have got no doubt about that," she said.

Success will require a majority of voters and a majority of states voting in favour.

If the referendum succeeds, the federal parliament will legislate the details of the voice's composition, functions, powers and procedures.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the $450 million cost of the referendum could be better spent helping families or small businesses.

"I cannot find a time when a prime minister has proposed a bigger change to the constitution without being able to explain what it is about," he told 2GB radio.

Mr Dutton said if the government had offered a simple question of recognising Indigenous people in the constitution "the public in 2023 would support it overwhelmingly".

Early voting for the referendum begins on October 2, but because of a public holiday observed in the ACT, SA, NSW and Qld, those jurisdictions will open pre-polling on October 3.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 31 August 2023; Hits: 75

Campaigners for the Indigenous voice say the referendum will be won through "honest conversation" at train stations, shopping malls and family homes, not social media.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday the vote on whether to change the constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through an advisory body would be held on October 14.

Mr Albanese campaigned on Thursday in Tasmania, considered a must-win state for the 'yes' camp.

Prominent Indigenous lawyer and 'yes' campaigner Noel Pearson was optimistic of a win, despite signs the 'no' case is dominant in Queensland and Western Australia.

"We have everything in front of us, we have a world to gain," Mr Pearson told ABC radio.

He said the growing base of volunteers would be instrumental to the 'yes' campaign.

"We're not going to win this on social media, we're gonna win it at the train stations, in the malls, at the houses of people that we knock the doors on," he said.

"My belief is that this is to be won through honest conversation between Australians."

Mr Albanese was joined in Hobart by Tasmanian Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff, federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer and independent MP Andrew Wilkie, all of whom support the 'yes' case.

"It should be a moment of national unity and I'm pleased that every premier and chief minister is supporting a 'yes' vote," Mr Albanese said.