Home > Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook > Appendix A: Policy Decisions taken since the 2012‑13 Budget > Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

Appendix A: Policy Decisions taken since the 2012-13 Budget (Continued)

Expense Measures (Continued)

Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

Legal assistance — ex‑gratia payment

Expense ($m)
	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑

The Government will provide up to $50,000 to assist with legal and associated costs arising from proceedings against the Queensland Coroner. The proceedings are seeking an inquest into the death of a person while installing insulation under the, now closed, Home Insulation Program.

The cost of this measure will be met from within the existing resourcing of the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

Low Carbon Communities — additional funding

Expense ($m)
	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency	‑	‑0.5	0.5	‑	‑
Total — Expense	‑	‑0.5	0.5	‑	‑

The Government will provide $44.7 million over three years to support additional energy efficiency action under the Low Carbon Communities program. This measure includes:

$20.7 million in 2011‑12 to expand the Home Energy Saver Scheme, which subsidises the purchase of energy efficient household appliances for low income households; and
$24.0 million over two years from 2012‑13 to establish the Local Government Energy Efficiency Program, to assist local government authorities to install solar or heat pump hot water systems in their buildings and community facilities to improve energy efficiency.

Funding for this measure was included as a 'decision taken but not yet announced' in the 2012‑13 Budget. The Government has subsequently decided to reallocate $0.5 million from the 2012‑13 provision to 2013‑14 to support the implementation of the Local Government Energy Efficiency Program by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

Further information can be found in the press release of 6 June 2012 issued by the Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

Voluntary Action Pledge Fund — deferral

Expense ($m)
	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency	‑	‑	‑	‑	‑

The Government has deferred the start date for the Voluntary Action Pledge Fund until the commencement of the carbon pricing mechanism's flexible price period on 1 July 2015. The fund is designed to help individuals access the carbon market and voluntarily cancel emissions units including Australian carbon permits, Kyoto compliant and non‑Kyoto compliant Australian carbon credit units, and eligible international units. The deferral will reduce expenses by $1.2 million over five years from 2011‑12.

The financial implications for this measure were included as a 'decision taken but not yet announced' in the 2012‑13 Budget.

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