The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
The Hon Kristy McBain MP, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories
The Hon Josh Wilson MP, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy
The Albanese Government is again partnering with local governments to deliver energy upgrades and bill savings for community facilities like local pools, sporting clubs and community centres, so they can spend more on what they do best.
Round two of the highly popular $100 million Community Energy Upgrades Fund will open for applications on 4 March.
This will see $50 million of funding available, which has the potential to unlock at least an additional $100 million in high-impact energy upgrades.
This could include upgrades like replacing energy-intensive heating in council pools with heat pumps and energy efficient lighting and battery storage at sporting fields, libraries and community centres.
Local councils own and operate many of the public sporting, community and cultural facilities Australians use every year, and we know that 8 million Australians use community sport infrastructure annually.
The highly popular Albanese Labor Government initiative saw 58 local government's awarded funding in Round 1, following 165 applications overall.
Local councils who missed out in the first round are encouraged to apply again. Guidelines and more information is available here: https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/community-energy-upgrades-fund-round-2
Quotes attributable to Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen:
"Local councils run many of the sport and public facilities that keep our communities and clubs thriving. We want facilities that Australians know and love, like cricket grounds and local pools, to be able to save on their energy bills and spend more on the things they do best.
"The Albanese Government is not just providing short term relief on power bills, with our Community Energy Upgrades Fund and Energy Savings Package, it is also making the investments needed to deliver cleaner, cheaper power for the long-term."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Kristy McBain:
"Local governments are trusted delivery partners of a range of services communities rely on, which is why we continue to provide them with targeted assistance to help them meet the needs of their local communities.
"We know that every dollar local governments save goes back into their community, which is why the Community Energy Upgrades Fund is great news - it will mean more energy efficient operations and better experiences for communities to enjoy."
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Josh Wilson:
"Local governments are on the front line of combating climate change, which is why we're partnering on major projects to save energy and decarbonise public facilities.
"More than 1,000 council pools in Australia are owned or operated by local government. They're big energy users and efficiencies can make a real difference on the path to net zero.
"We want to make every watt count. This fund will help local councils install efficient systems, reduce energy bills and lower emissions."
