The Local Power Plan - a blueprint to reboot the economy of regional Australia with locally-owned community energy

On Wednesday 23 September Helen Haines MP, Independent Federal Member for Indi, launched the Local Power Plan – a blueprint to reboot the economy of regional Australia with locally-owned community energy.

"The Local Power Plan is the culmination of a six-month community co-design process. We invited Australians from all backgrounds to have a say in the role of renewables in regional Australia.

And the message we heard was clear: people are excited about the potential of renewables to bring new jobs and opportunities, and of course, clean and cheap power. But we need a way to ensure that everyday people can benefit from the boom that is already happening.

This is where the Local Power Plan comes in.

Our plan proposes the creation of a new Australian Local Power Agency to deliver three innovative schemes:

• The Local Power Scheme will establish 50 hubs in regional centres across Australia and a new $310 million fund to support local communities to develop their own energy projects;

• The Underwriting New Community Investment Scheme will provide financial certainty to community-owned renewables projects, unlocking a new wave of locally-owned power stations;

• The Community Renewable Investment Scheme will enable local people to purchase 20% of the value of new large-scale renewables projects, meaning the benefits will flow to local people.

In Australia, we are facing some of our toughest economic conditions ever. The time is right to make transformational investments in Australia, and especially in regional Australia.

By bringing cheap, clean power to the regions, spurring a new wave of local employment, and creating new sources of income that will last for decades, the Local Power Plan is one opportunity to reboot our regional economy with community energy."

The Webinar of the launch was most informative, with speakers from community power advocates from Mansfield, Euroa, .... in Indi; from ..... and with ....a most inspiring presentation by the person chosen to launch the plan, ....... who wrote ....... .  

To turn the plan into reality, work needs to be done by those sharing the vision of a generation of prosperity fuelled by cheap, clean, local power, to get the Government to commit $483 million over 10 years.    What can be done?    While we don't need to contact our Federal MP to support the Local Power Plan, as Helen Haines has inspired and working actively to support it; however we could continue to work with our local council about supporting local renewables projects and get involved with Renewable Energy Benalla, Indigo Power and more.  

Beverley Lee
Media Team