Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been delivered a petition from solar supporters, a certificate of mediocrity and news that his own electorate is lagging behind in solar uptake.
Grass-roots group Solar Citizens delivered the postcard petition to Prime Minister Turnbull’s office, signed by more than 10,000 Australians calling on the PM for a clear vision and policy support for Australian renewables. As well as the petition, an oversized “Room for Improvement on Solar and Renewables” certificate was presented.
Solar Citizens also relayed that according to a recent survey of 788 residents in the Prime Minister’s own seat of Wentworth, it seems the electorate ranks second last in Australia for solar power uptake..
“It’s abundantly clear that there’s a great deal of work to do in his electorate to meet the demands and wishes of his constituents on renewable energy,” said Claire O’Rourke, National Director of Solar Citizens.
While uptake may be lacking, it appears there’s plenty of passion for renewable energy in Wentworth.
The ReachTel poll revealed 63.5% of those surveyed would be more likely to vote for a party with a policy to wean Australia off coal fired power; with view to the nation being 100% renewable energy powered by 2030.
As elsewhere in Australia, the issue of renewable energy could be a vote-clincher in Wentworth, with 12.2% stating it could influence their vote at the next Federal Election – ahead of issues such as national security and health.
The main suburbs of the Wentworth electorate include Bondi, Paddington, Point Piper and Vaucluse.
An Essential poll carried out earlier this year indicated 63% of Australians would be more likely to vote for party with a policy committed to seeing solar panels installed on every suitable home and building in the nation.
Solar Citizens has also taken the Prime Minister to task in relation to recent projects announced by ARENA – some of which we wrote about on Thursday – and the new $1 billion Clean Energy Innovation Fund.
“The projects announced by the government today would be unlikely to attract funding under Mr Turnbull’s proposed changes that remove ARENA’s grantmaking function,” Ms O’Rourke said yesterday.
