Independent MP for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie has quizzed Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen over community battery pledges made while Labor was in opposition.
In December 2021, Labor took the covers off its Powering Australia Plan. Part of the Plan included a commitment to invest $200 million over four years in community batteries through a grants program should Labor win office. At the time Labor said the initiative would deliver around 400 community battery systems with a proposed 500kWh capacity each.
These community batteries would soak up surplus electricity being generated by local solar power system owners, releasing energy during evening peak or when otherwise required. Community batteries can help stabilise local grids, provide more robust energy security generally and enable more rooftop solar to be installed.
Soon after the commitment was made, Chris Bowen – who was Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy at the time – went on a community battery pledging spree in multiple states. All told, 58 batteries were pledged.
“Sports Rorts” Scandal Invoked
A few years ago, there was quite a kerfuffle concerning how funding was distributed under Sport Australia’s Community Sport Infrastructure Program. It became known as the “sports rorts” affair, also called the McKenzie scandal; in reference to Senator Bridget McKenzie who was Minister for Sport in the Morrison Government at the time.
The term has now been connected to the initial batch of community batteries pledged. How those communities were selected was called into question in the House of Representatives yesterday by Ms. Sharkie following a response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request made to the Department of Climate Change and Energy.
“The department’s FOI response on selection criteria for the Community Batteries for Household Solar grants program stated: ‘The selections were determined by the Australian Labor Party while in opposition, prior to the May 2022 federal election. The department was not involved in these decisions and therefore has no records or documents to show the criteria applied to processes involved in making and approving the eligible selection locations.'”
Ms. Sharkie then asked Minister Bowen:
“How is this difference to sports rorts, Minister?”
In his reply, Minister Bowen said it would have been rather surprising if the Department of Climate Change and Energy had been involved in election commitments Labor made from opposition.
“Yes, oppositions make election commitments – yes, we do,” said Minister Bowen. “Governments, when elected, then deliver on those election commitments. So those 58 sites will be delivered and the rest of those sites are open for tender from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. That tender will start in the first week of April, I’m very pleased to advise the honourable member.”
Rex Patrick: “A Shameless Rort”
Commenting on yesterday’s exchange, former senator Rex Patrick described the situation as “pork barrelling”, which was defined by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption as “the allocation of public funds and resources to targeted electors for partisan political purposes”.
“The aims of the Community Batteries for Household Solar Program are noble; it seeks to provide community batteries to support lower electricity bills and emissions, support storage of excess solar energy, and reduce pressure on the grid. It could well be of particular benefit to lower income communities, especially in regional and remote Australia,” said Mr. Patrick. “But it has a rotten stink about it.”
According to Mr. Patrick’s opinion piece, 74% of the suburbs pledged a community battery grant by the Labor Party were seats Labor hoped to hold or gain.
“Thanks to the FOI response, we now know that there was no independent or objective assessment of the relative merit of the locations, only the political input of the Labor Party, presumably communicated to the Department directly by Minister Bowen or through his office,” said Mr. Patrick.
But another important distinction between what Mr. Patrick refers to as “solar rorts” and the “sports rorts” affair is unlike in the case of the latter, the Community Batteries for Household Solar Program didn’t exist at the time of the pledges – and would not have existed if Labor didn’t win office.
However, in the absence of a detailed response from Minister Bowen yesterday about how the communities were selected, it’s not surprising some might find it all a bit whiffy.
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Is there yet a full list of locations, electorates, and sizes of batteries that have been promised?
I can see the rort\partisan issue, but if it’s in the areas Rex Patrick mentions then the stink might at least be balanced by the gain. On the other hand if partisan politics alone defined who or where made the list with actual benefits ignored, then it’s Labor spending taxpayer funds to get itself elected, and that is ethically problematic.
It is a pity they dont hold themselves to a higher standard. I am sure somewhere there is a department that can tell them where solar energy isn’t getting soaked up fast enough and a battery would be great.
“74% of the suburbs pledged a community battery grant by the Labor Party were seats Labor hoped to hold or gain.” Hoped to gain is a big difference here though. That would have been a lot. Additionally, they got nothing on John Barilaro!