Environment
Renovation nation: Aussies plan $85b in energy upgrades
16 September
Australian households plan to spend $85 billion on home energy upgrades over the next five years, a study has found, averaging more than $8300 per home. But renters and younger Australians could miss out on the trend, with both groups budgeting...[Read More]
Inflated charges: push to make landlords pay gas bills
2 September
Australian renters are being slugged almost $440 million a year to stay connected to gas, analysis has shown, even though landlords control whether their properties remain on the network.Rewiring Australia released the finding on Friday and called...[Read More]
Push for nationwide ban on dumping old solar panels
5 August
Used solar panels should be banned from all Australian landfill sites while the government develops a scheme to reuse and recycle the technology, an inquiry has been told. With the right scheme in place, Australia could recover billions of dollars...[Read More]
The resilience of farmers
23 July
When we think of resilience, few professions embody it quite like farmers. The life of a farmer is often woven with deep roots — both in the land they work and the generations before them who have passed down their experience, stories, and...[Read More]
Energy rollercoaster: Australian bills to fall and rise
16 July
Solar panels, wind farms and cheaper batteries will help to cut Australian electricity bills in the coming years, even as the artificial intelligence boom pushes up the price of gas technology. But energy prices will rise after 2030, a study has...[Read More]
‘Missed opportunity’ to act on power plan loyalty tax
25 June
A proposal to clamp down on the loyalty tax paid by disengaged power customers does not go far enough in the view of consumer and small business groups. Australia’s electricity rule-maker initiated a review to tackle the problem of customers...[Read More]
Residents to get no-interest loans for energy upgrades
17 June
Residents in NSW can now access zero-interest loans of up to $15,000 to fund lower energy upgrades to their homes, aimed at slashing bills and taking pressure off the grid. Ahead of next week’s state budget, the NSW government announced on...[Read More]
Australia’s remaining solarless roofs harder to crack
27 May
On a mission to investigate solar, battery and electrification retrofits for the block of flats she lives in, Coco Venaglia has faced hurdle after hurdle. The building’s strata committee is open to upgrades but pressed for time, and was pleased...[Read More]
Rent hikes, more homelessness as climate change bites
20 May
Climbing insurance premiums and other economic symptoms of climate change are expected to push rents higher and drive homelessness without well-targeted intervention. Under a high-emissions future, characterised by the ongoing dominance of fossil...[Read More]
Budget lacks energy for big renewable project reforms
13 May
Australia’s growing throng of solar panels, batteries and electric cars will be managed by a new regulator in a multimillion-dollar budget commitment welcomed by investment and climate groups. The change will come in addition to support for...[Read More]
Batteries undercutting gas, keeping lid on power bills
7 May
Australian power grids have proven far more resilient to the latest global energy crisis compared with the Russia-Ukraine war, bolstered by battery boom and subdued local gas prices. A ballooning battery fleet soaking up cheap, abundant solar to...[Read More]