The Renewable Energy Alliance (RE-Alliance) and Community Power Agency – two organisations working for more than a decade in renewable energy regions – say last night's budget is a missed opportunity for regional communities.
RE-Alliance and Community Power Agency, alongside partner Yes2Renewables, have been calling for improved community engagement and access to reliable information in regional communities about Australia's shift to renewables, through Local Energy Hubs.
Local Energy Hubs would be physical centres with a strong outreach program staffed by independent local experts to provide accurate information about what's happening in renewable energy regions.
RE-Alliance National Director Andrew Bray said productive discussions had been taking place with the government for more than 12 months about the Local Energy Hubs proposal, and now regional communities want the government to deliver.
"This was a missed opportunity for the government to show it is listening to the concerns of regional communities. We will now be looking closely for serious funding commitments during the upcoming federal election campaign," Mr Bray said.
"We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure the shift to renewables delivers genuine, local, long-term benefits for our regions," he said.
"But trust in the regions is being tested. It's hard to access information about Australia's energy shift, and how families, small businesses and farmers can make the most of it.
"Local Energy Hubs are a crucial part of the puzzle to place regional leadership at the centre and rebuild trust in the shift to renewable energy," Mr Bray said.
Community Power Agency Director, Jarra Hicks, said Local Energy Hubs are the key to the government reaching its renewable energy targets.
"The government is rightly focussed on progressing Australia's shift to renewables to lower household energy bills and carbon pollution as quickly as possible," Dr Hicks said.
"But our renewable energy targets are at serious risk if governments continue to sideline the needs of regional and rural communities in the process. Fairness isn't a barrier to speed, it's what makes speed possible. When people have access to trusted, independent information, they can make informed decisions about their energy future, helping to drive the shift to renewable energy," she said.
"Let's get Local Energy Hubs funded and rolled out where they're needed most, so we can ensure communities benefit from the raft of opportunities that renewables can bring when done right," Dr Hicks said.
