In her third year as Water Minister, Senator Wong has finally committed to a $100 million investment in on-farm water infrastructure, Coalition Murray Darling Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today “Minister Wong and Kevin Rudd promised $5.8 billion for water-saving projects under the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program, yet only now…
DetailsWater from the current Queensland floodwaters will be wasted as result of ongoing delays in promised infrastructure works to the Menindee Lakes, Coalition Murray Darling Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today.? The second flood in the Darling catchment in three months will see run-off of 6,215 gigalitres of water, or more than six…
DetailsThe Rudd Government has been unable to shed light on basic details of its commitment to remove foil insulation from more than 50,000 homes, Coalition Senators Simon Birmingham and Scott Ryan said today. The failure on detail comes a day after the foil removal, or installation of electrical safety switches, was announced as…
DetailsA catalogue of failure confirmed by Senator Wong today has underlined the need for a Senate inquiry into the Government’s bungled Green Loans program, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action Simon Birmingham said today. Shortly after the Senate agreed this afternoon to establish an inquiry into Green Loans*, Senator Wong used a Ministerial…
DetailsThe Coalition will today move* for a Senate inquiry into another environmental program bungled by the Rudd Government, affecting the livelihoods of thousands of Australians, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action Simon Birmingham said today. The Green Loans program, now stripped of loans, will join the Home Insulation Program as both a completely…
Details“Today’s announcement of $25.03 million in approved funding to local councils for water saving infrastructure is far short of the action needed to make a real difference to Murray Darling Basin health,” Coalition spokesman Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “Every dollar spent on water saving infrastructure is welcome, but $25.03 million is a…
DetailsMore evaded questions today suggest the Minister with responsibility for coordinating the roll-out of the stimulus package was warned of the dangers of rushing the now abandoned Home Insulation Program. Mark Arbib, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, today again dodged questions over the disastrous program, now linked to…
DetailsMore than 100,000 householders risk missing out on Green Loans because of horrendous delays in paperwork being returned to them, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “The revelation in Senate Question Time today is the latest example of gross failure on environmental policy by Minister Garrett and the Rudd Government,” Senator Birmingham, Shadow Parliamentary…
Details· Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett went to the last election promising to: “Offer low interest Green Loans of up to $10,000 each to make 200,000 existing homes more energy and water efficient, with subsidised environmental audits and free Green Renovations packs.” (Election 07 Policy Document: Solar Schools Solar Homes) · In the…
DetailsThe Senate today passed its first censure motion in five years, the first since the election of the Rudd Government, targeting the mismanagement of programs in Peter Garrett’s portfolio. “Being censured by the Senate is a serious matter,” Coalition spokesman Senator Simon Birmingham said, “it is not done very often and it is…
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