Today marks one year since the Andrews Labor Government failed to comply with its own climate change laws and commitment to set interim emission reduction targets for 2025 and 2030. Victorians have no detail and no certainty on how Victoria is meant to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
In information obtained from the Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning (DELWP), it has been revealed the Andrews Labor Government spent a whopping $688,000 of taxpayers' money on consultant fees for 'advice' on climate change last year. Yet, after all this money was spent on corporate consultants, Victorians are none the wiser on how emissions reductions will actually be achieved, or how their energy costs will be impacted.
Back in 2017, the Andrew Labor Government introduced the Climate Change Act which mandated the government to set emission reduction targets in order to combat the effects of climate change.
Over 18 months ago, and well before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Andrews Labor Government received an Expert Panel Report in June 2019 making recommendations on how to reduce emissions but has so far sat on the report and done nothing to meet its legal obligations or plan on how Victoria is going to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
In Parliamentary hearings held in December 2020, Lily D'Ambrosio, Minister for Climate Change, said the Labor Government's strategy would be released in a "few weeks". That was more than three months ago and the Andrews Labor Government is still refusing to come clean on its targets.
In stark contrast, New South Wales announced in March 2020, during the pandemic, that it would reduce its emissions by 35 per cent by 2030.
As stated by Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Bridget Vallence:
"It's time for Daniel Andrews and Labor to come clean with Victorians if they can't meet their zero emissions target.
"For Labor to spend nearly three quarters of a million dollars on consultants fees for climate change policies that don't exist or remain hidden and secret, is a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money.
"It's a major embarrassment that the Andrews Labor Government can't even comply with its own climate change laws and set important emission reduction targets to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
"Victorian families and businesses need urgent certainty as to how emissions reductions will be achieved and how energy costs are going to be impacted. It's unacceptable that the Andrews Labor Government still has no plan to preserve and protect our environment."
