Shane Rattenbury MLA is leader of the ACT Greens, Attorney-General, and Minister for Consumer Affairs; Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction; and Gaming.
As we come to the end of another big year for Canberra, like most people I speak to, I am certainly looking forward to some down time.
Like many Canberrans, I hope to spend some time down the coast, but as we come in to another El Niño summer, it is hard not to think back to the fire, smoke, and destruction of Black Summer. It’s sobering, and it changes how we think about summer.
It’s what drives my work in Legislative Assembly, as my Greens colleagues and I use every ounce of power this community has given us to act on climate change and its flow-on effects. Pressure works, and in 2023 we made some huge leaps forward.
The only way to halt the warming, searing, and boiling of our planet is to stop using fossil fuels. Earlier this month, the Greens’ ban on new gas connections in the ACT came into force. ACT Labor laughed when we proposed it at the last election, but you voted for Greens in record numbers, and now it’s reality that every new building outside industrial zones in the ACT will be run on 100 per cent clean energy. Even with our growing population, Canberrans are cutting demand for new coal and gas, putting further pressure on the Federal Labor Government to stop approving new polluting projects.
This time of year comes with a lot of financial pressure, but let’s be frank: the cost-of-living crisis is an inequality crisis. It is affecting some Canberrans much worse than others, impacting physical and mental health, and the climate crisis makes it cut deeper. Extreme weather in different parts of the country drives up the already soaring cost of fresh food, while extreme temperatures drive up energy costs as we try to keep our homes cool enough in summer, and warm enough in winter.
In this way, the climate crisis also makes the housing crisis worse, as Canberrans know too well that many homes in the ACT expose their occupants to unsafe temperatures. In 2023, the Greens in government made it possible for renters to seek a rent reduction or compensation if the home they’re renting doesn’t meet minimum housing standards. We’ve put sustainability standards in place for new developments under the ACT’s new planning system, as well as in the ACT’s Building Code, to make sure all new homes are climate-proofed.
In existing homes, Canberrans are making the switch away from fossil fuels at a truly impressive and heartening rate. The ACT’s uptake of electric vehicles is the fastest in the country, with 18 per cent of new cars sold being fossil-fuel-free. We’re also putting more money and effort into alternatives to private cars, such as cycleways, e-bike incentives, and Light Rail expansion. It’s taking longer than we would like, but we continue to push hard. At home, Canberrans are replacing their old gas cooktops, heating and water systems with efficient electric ones, reaping the benefits in lower bills and greater comfort.
So that’s the flip side. While climate change is making the housing and inequality crises worse, climate action has positive ripple effects.
Greater access to locally produced food would be more sustainable and more affordable for Canberrans, easing our dependence on profiteering supermarket chains. In 2023, our Greens in government have been working with the community on the ACT’s first Local Food Strategy, while the federal Greens secured a Senate Inquiry into price gouging by the major supermarkets. You can make a submission to that inquiry, in as little as a few lines, and if you’ve been impacted by soaring costs, I strongly encourage you to say so. This is an opportunity to break the power of the grocery giants that hold our community to ransom for ever increasing profits.
On energy costs, we have achieved 100 per cent renewable electricity for the ACT while maintaining some of the lowest electricity prices in the country. Our contracts feed enough renewable electricity into the grid to cover everything we use, and the fixed price we’ve locked in has insulated Canberrans from the worst bill shocks.
But there is so much more to do. As we head into 2024, an election year in the ACT, the Greens will be unveiling bold ideas to overcome the oppressive climate, housing, and inequality crises. We want you to be part of it. We know the people most affected by rising costs, housing loss, and climate emergencies have the least time and energy to engage in the political process, so do what works for you. Say hello if you see us at the shops. Send us a quick message on social media, or call one of our offices while you’re waiting for the bus.
We’ll be working to achieve as much as we can in this final year of the term, and looking forward to the opportunities the next year may bring, because there’s no time to waste on these urgent challenges facing our community.
