Energy that doesn’t cost the Earth
Vision: Australia is a renewable energy powerhouse. We don’t need to develop new gas reserves – our renewable energy is abundant, affordable, and sustainable.
Why are we here? Decades of limited thinking and favouring big oil profits have left Australians with high energy prices and poor access to renewable energy infrastructure. Around 70 per cent of Australians want stronger climate action and a faster transition to renewables. It’s time for our government to represent the people – not corporations that avoid tax and damage our future.
Kate Lockhart, Independent for Corangamite, is advocating for:
Prioritising renewable energy and rejecting wrong energy decisions
- Maintain the national prohibition on nuclear energy in Australia.
- Protect the Otways from onshore and offshore gas drilling.
- Terminate the gas terminal proposal in Corio Bay.
- Oppose the waste-to-energy incinerator in Lara.
- Meet our carbon reduction targets and global climate commitments.
- Stop approving new coal and gas projects (Labor has approved 28 in this term).
Supporting a fair clean energy transition
- Fund climate-safe housing programs to help the elderly, disabled, and low-income households electrify and insulate their homes.
- Offer subsidies and low-interest loans for households and businesses to upgrade energy efficiency, install rooftop solar, and add batteries.
- Support landlords in meeting mandatory minimum energy standards for rental properties.
- Back Rewiring Australia’s plan to Electrify Everything.
Reducing the community carbon footprint
- Electrify community infrastructure like schools, early learning centres, hospitals, and public transport.
- Establish Local Community Energy Hubs to support connected, place-based energy solutions.
Creating local jobs in renewable energy
- Support competitive local manufacturing of solar panels, batteries, and electric appliances.
- Fund free TAFE and training to grow the renewable energy workforce.
- Expand and diversify apprenticeship pathways in the energy transition sector.
- Introduce a national accreditation framework and free licensing program for safe residential electrification upgrades.
Making electric vehicles affordable and accessible
- Prevent Australia becoming a dumping ground for high-emission cars – support strong vehicle efficiency standards.
- Reform financing rules so reduced running costs of EVs are recognised and loans are easier to access.
- Expand the public charging network to make EVs more practical for all Australians.
Energy reforms, standards, and accountability
- End fossil fuel and mining subsidies – $14.5 billion last year could be reinvested in communities.
- Overhaul the PRRT to ensure mining companies pay more tax than students with HECS debt.
- Mandate energy performance disclosure from large corporations and government departments.
- Reform the energy market to ensure the benefits of home electrification are passed on to consumers.
Quotes from Kate Lockhart:
“It’s time to empower every Australian to cut their energy bills. By electrifying and insulating our homes and investing in solar and batteries, we reduce waste and increase affordability.”
“The community does not support the waste-to-energy plant in Lara. Burning 400,000 tonnes of waste – including plastics – would poison our air for decades. It’s not part of a circular economy.”
“Geelong is a magnificent city facing the sun. We don’t want a gas terminal in Corio Bay or an incinerator in Lara – we want renewables powering our homes and businesses.”
“Nuclear power is an expensive distraction. It requires vast amounts of water, is slow to deploy, and diverts attention from real climate solutions. I will actively oppose any effort to introduce it in Australia.”
“In France – one of the world’s nuclear leaders – over half of its nuclear plants shut down during a drought. In Australia, the driest inhabited continent on Earth, nuclear would create energy vulnerability, not security.”
Further reading:
Property risks due to climate breakdown
Climate Valuation and Climate Council property risk research:
• 1,673 properties are at high risk in Corangamite.
• 3,068 properties at medium risk.
Taking no action to tackle climate change means in 2050:
• 2,539 properties will be at high risk.
• 3,534 properties will be at medium risk.
ENERGY CASE STUDY: FINLAND
If you think – as Mr Dutton along with Mr Dunstan is constantly telling us – that we can’t rely on renewables, let’s take a quick look at a country like Finland – a country that offers a glimpse of what’s possible when energy policy, resource management, and wellbeing come together.
Finland is rapidly approaching full energy self-sufficiency. In 2023, it became a net exporter of electricity for the first time. The country generates a significant portion of its energy from wind, hydro, biomass, and nuclear, and it’s phasing out coal entirely.
Finland is often ranked among the top five economies in Europe on various measures of resilience and competitiveness. Economically, Finland ranks high in GDP per capita and consistently outperforms many of its European neighbours in education, innovation, and technological readiness. It’s
But what really stands out is that Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world for seven years in a row by the United Nations’ World Happiness Report. That ranking is based not on income alone, but on measures like social trust, access to public services, low corruption, and a strong sense of community wellbeing.
Finland shows us what’s possible when a country commits to clean energy, climate resilience, and policies that put people and future generations first. The green transition is not just about powering homes – it is about empowering communities.
~ Kate Lockhart
Integrity, Equity, Climate Action
Your Community Independent candidate for Corangamite 2025
