Australian Politics
Decarbonising Australia’s Heavy Industries: A 30-year Project To Cost $625 Billion
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has launched a report (pdf) that outlines the roadmap to reduce the Australia’s industry emissions by 92 percent as the country seeks to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The report is a three-year project conducted under the Australian Industry Energy Transitions Initiative, with the engagement of some of the nation’s largest companies.
Details of the Plan
The report stated that the federal government and local businesses had to invest $20.8 billion per year on average to decarbonise the industry sector by 2050.
Roughly two-thirds of this amount must be invested in Australia’s energy system, while the remaining need to go toward the electrification of the most heavily polluting operations.
Notably, for the plan to succeed, there must be a massive lift in Australia’s electricity generation capacity.
The report said around 600 terawatt-hours would be needed each year, which is equivalent to a two-fold increase in the country’s total current electricity generation.
And if Australia wants to establish new export markets for “green” iron and hydrogen, the demand for additional electricity would go up to 1,450 terawatt-hours per year.
In addition, the plan also requires 260 gigawatts of renewable capacity to be added to the current power grid by 2050, among which 80 gigawatts will come from wind, 90 gigawatts from large-scale solar PV and 80 gigawatts from rooftop PV.
Regarding implementation, the plan will focus on five industries–iron and steel, aluminium, other metals, chemicals, and liquefied natural gas–which account for 25 percent of Australia’s total emissions.
The report said over 1.3 million jobs could be generated between 2025 and 2050 through government and sector investments.
Response from the Government and Relevant Parties
While acknowledging the challenging nature of the plan, the energy minister said it still needed to be carried out.
“If it was easy, it would have been done by now,” Bowen said.
“We’re talking about hard-to-abate sectors, hard-to-abate technologies. But it’s absolutely vital, and it can be done, as this report indicates.”
Bowen also said the project would require an “all-in effort” while highlighting the job opportunities it could bring to the community.
“This is not a whole-of-government effort. This, the fastest transition since the industrial revolution is and must be a whole-of-society effort,” he said.
“And I believe we can do it–and reports like this are important in helping us to.”
Monash University Chancellor Simon McKeon, who is also the chair of the Australian Industry Energy Transitions Initiative, also emphasised the necessity of the project.
“Action is needed now to lay the foundations, capitalise on the opportunities and avoid more costly emissions reduction measures in the future,” he said in comments obtained by AAP.
Meanwhile, Lord Adair Turner, who has been an advisor to the project, talked about the changes Australia would undergo by achieving net zero emissions.
“Australia’s economic future in a net-zero world is hugely positive and prosperous,” he said.
“Blessed with abundant natural wind and solar resources, it can both decarbonise its own economy rapidly and become a major exporter of green hydrogen to countries across the world.”
Concerns about Renewable Energy Production
The report’s launch comes as energy experts have raised concerns about energy production in Australia.
In the past few years, many energy companies have announced plans to shut down coal and gas-fired power stations under political or economic pressures to transition to renewable energy.
However, Mark Collette, the managing director of EnergyAustralia–a major electricity generator and energy retailer in the country– pointed out that the development of new renewable energy sources failed to catch up with the shutdown of traditional power plants across Australia.
He warned that the national power grid could be at risk and called for some form of agreement between governments and energy companies that dictated the timing of the closure of fossil fuel generators to prevent shortfalls in generation capacity.
Meanwhile, National MP and former minister David Gillespie said the country would be in a permanent state of adding more and more renewables to the grid if it continued to pursue its emissions targets.
He noted it would cost Australia $1.27 trillion to achieve its 2050 net-zero emissions plan.
This is a significant figure, given that Australia’s total GDP for 2021 was around US$1.55 trillion ($2.25 trillion).
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Tanya Plibersek gives Santos gas expansion project green light
The Greens say Labor’s environmental credentials are “in tatters” after Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek gave the green light for a new gas expansion project in Queensland, amid deteriorating negotiations over Labor’s key climate policy.
The criticism comes after The Australian revealed Ms Plibersek approved an application from energy giant Santos to construct and operate an expansion of 116 gas wells at an existing facility in the Surat Basin out until 2077.
The project’s approval has threatened to derail Labor’s negotiations with the Greens as it seeks to win support for its key climate change policy, with Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen locked in negotiations with the minor party in a bid to get Labor’s safeguard mechanism through the upper house.
Anthony Albanese on Tuesday slapped down threats from the Greens to block the carbon credits scheme without a blanket ban on fossil fuel projects, saying they would “not be entertained” by the government.
The Prime Minister said the Greens were trying to “exert their influence” in negotiations after the Coalition formally opposed their climate policy.
But Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi said Labor’s climate credibility was “in tatters” after the new gas approval and called on Ms Plibersek to explain her decision to approve “new gas fracking until 2077”.
“Labor has just approved 116 new gas wells and its climate credibility is in tatters,” Senator Faruqi said. “Gas is as dirty as coal. We’re in the middle of a climate crisis and Tanya Plibersek needs to explain why Labor is approving new gas fracking until 2077.”
Labor’s safeguard mechanism – in which Australia’s 215 biggest-polluting facilities would slash emissions by almost 5 per cent each year out to 2030 – is essential to the government’s target to cut emissions by 43 per cent by the end of the decade.
With the Coalition opposing the safeguard mechanism, the federal government needs the votes of the Greens’ 11 senators and two crossbenchers to get its carbon credits regime through the Senate.
A spokeswoman for Ms Plibersek said the gas expansion was assessed on its merit and was subject to strict environmental approvals.
The spokeswoman said the federal government was putting Australia “on a clear path to net zero” through its $15bn National Reconstruction Fund, safeguard mechanism and support for electric cars.
The Australian understands the expansion is a small addition to an existing project which has been operational for more than eight years. “This proposal, as with all proposals, was assessed on its merits. It was subject to robust scientific assessments, and strict environmental approval conditions have been applied,” the spokeswoman said.
It comes after a new report from the Australian Energy Market Operator highlighted an “urgent” need to invest in back-up capacity – including batteries, long-life storage and more generation – to avoid the risk of blackouts later this decade.
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Queensland is to relax its drug laws, even for ice and heroin
If you are among the one-in-six Australians who have used illicit drugs in the last 12 months, yesterday's proposed law announced by Queensland's police minister may have piqued your interest.
What does the government want to change?
Queensland's Police Minister Mark Ryan wants to expand the state's Police Drug Diversion Program (PDDP).
At the moment, it stops minor drug offenders found with less than 50 grams of cannabis, or utensils for personal use, from being prosecuted by ushering them towards professional help.
But the government wants that program expanded to include all drugs — so personal quantities of anything from cocaine to heroin to meth. It also applies to unlawful prescription medication.
Mark Ryan speaks at a media conference in Brisbane
Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan says the changes will keep people out of prison.(ABC News: Lucas Hill)
Under the proposal, those found in possession would be given a warning in the first instance, then offered to participate and complete the diversionary program on their second offence.
But the clincher is that you must not be facing other criminal charges, and you can't have been to jail for drug offences before.
Why has this change been made?
Two reasons
1.To save police time
2.To prevent further harm to small-time users
Here's a couple of things Mr Ryan said in Parliament yesterday:
"Research shows that if you divert people early to health and education services, they are less likely to reoffend.
"Police will continue their tough enforcement action in taking dangerous drugs off the streets of Queensland, but this will save police time by expanding drug diversion for minor offences which would enable officers to target drug manufacturers and traffickers domestically and internationally.
"The expanded police drug diversion programme proposed by the Queensland Police Service and established by this bill will help to prevent people developing a substance abuse disorder."
What is a diversion program?
It is a personalised program delivered by Queensland Health to help minor offenders quit using.
First of all, offenders have to meet the criteria set out by Queensland Police here, and admit to the use in an interview.
You're then referred for a one-on-one assessment, where you work with someone on a plan to get off drugs.
But you can only be offered diversion once, and if you turn it down — that's it.
What do police think about this?
According to the minister, the idea came from within the force, led by Commissioner Katarina Carroll.
He said it was also supported by every post-Fitzgerald-era Queensland Police commissioner, former Corrective Services and federal police commissioners too.
How have medical groups responded? Very well.
In a joint release, the Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) and the addiction groups Alcohol and Drug Foundation and Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies, applauded the move.
"A health-based approach to drug use benefits the whole of community by helping to reduce drug-related deaths and disease, reduce stigma and problematic drug use, and see more people reaching out for help and support," said AMAQ president Dr Maria Boulton.
Is Queensland the only place to do this?
No, and the government says this proposal will bring the state in line with jurisdictions such as Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.
How likely are they to come into effect? Pretty likely.
The draft laws have been referred to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny and community consultation.
In the coming months, the bill will come back to parliament for debate and it will become law if it receives majority support from state politicians.
Does this mean drugs are legal in Queensland now? In short, no.
While the government says it will prevent about 17,000 Queenslanders from facing prosecution for minor drug offences, it says it is important to note that this move "does not equate to the legalisation of dangerous drugs".
In fact, as part of the reform, the maximum penalty for the offence of trafficking dangerous drugs increases from 25 years to life imprisonment.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-22/queensland-illicit-drug-law-changes-three-strikes/102005684
**************************************************Work visa extension to attract international students to Australia
International students who complete a degree in a skill shortage area will be given an extra two years to stay in Australia after graduation.
The move, intended to help business beat skill shortages as well as speed the return of international students to Australia, was announced on Tuesday by federal Education Minister Jason Clare and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil.
For international students it means that the period of their post study work visa is increased from two to four years if they complete a bachelors degree, and increased from three to five years if they complete a masters degree.
But they get the benefit only if they study in a skill shortage area and the government has released a list of likely complying degrees including many in the health, teaching, engineering and agricultural fields.
All international students doing PhDs will benefit from the new policy regardless of their field of study. The period of their post study work visa will lengthen from four to six years.
The new work rights will come into effect on July 1 this year. International students are warned that they should check a more precise list of courses eligible for the extended work rights which will be released nearer to the July 1 commencement date.
Mr Clare said the changes would “make Australia more attractive as a study destination” for international students and help business fill skill shortages.
“Businesses are screaming out for skilled workers, particularly in the regions. We have got the second highest skills shortage in the developed world, according to the OECD,” he said.
The government will continue to give international students a further extension on their post study work rights period if they study at a regional or remote university. Regional universities will continue to attract an extra year and remote universities an extra two years on top of the two year extension announced on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s announcement also brings back the cap on the number of hours which international students are permitted to work in Australia while they attend their education institution.
The previous 40 hour per fortnight cap was temporarily removed by the Morrison government in early 2022 to help deal with labour shortages as the Australian economy emerged from Covid.
The new working hours cap will be 48 hours a fortnight and the higher figure will ease the impact of the change on international students who currently have no limit on their working hours. As before, the cap will not apply in holiday periods.
International Education Association of Australia CEO Phil Honeywood said he believed Mr Clare and Ms O’Neil had struck the right balance between the need to give students an incentive to choose Australia over other study destinations, the need to meet Australia’s skill needs and the obligation to find a sensible working hours solution.
But he said that international students will needed a clearer path to permanent residency. “If we are to encourage students to spend a decade of their life in studying and working in our economy, we need to have clearer migration pathways,” Mr Honeywood said.
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Also see my other blogs. Main ones below:
http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM -- daily)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)
http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs
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Evelyn Rae, a conservative Australian political commentator
Margo Robbie -- a beautiful australian
My son Joe at ANU
One of the happiest pictures ever -- Cleo Smith, aged 4
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