The Victorian Greens have today proposed imposing a new levy on Victoria's three polluting coal power stations to help pay for climate damage, after hundreds of thousands of Victorians were left without power following yesterday's devastating storm and bushfires.
At least 20 homes have already been destroyed by bushfire, and repairing the storm-damaged transmission network alone is expected to take weeks and cost millions of dollars.
Victorian Greens spokesperson for coal transition, Dr Tim Read, said it was now time to start holding the corporations that overwhelmingly contribute to climate change responsible for the resultant climate disasters through imposing a new 'coal climate' levy.
Dr Read suggested the government could adopt a mechanism similar to existing state taxes such as the fire services or mental health levies, that specifically targets AGL, Energy Australia, and Alinta, which own Victoria's three coal-fired power stations.
He said that as electricity is a regulated industry, the Essential Services Commission has appropriate powers to ensure a tax would not be passed on to Victorian energy consumers.
As stated by Victorian Greens coal transition spokesperson, Dr Tim Read:
"It's time to hold Victoria's big coal polluters to account. They caused this mess now they can pay to clean it up.
"There's no better way to incentivise energy corporations to switch from coal to renewables, than making them pay for the escalating climate damage.
"The Greens will work with the state government so that the big polluters, not Victorians, end up paying the bill for climate change."
