The Courier-Mail
By: Renee Viellaris
Households and business will receive a windfall in rebates, grants and low-interest loans if they become greener after tomorrow's Budget.
The tab for climate change initiatives is expected to hit $2 billion with Treasurer Wayne Swan yesterday signalling a key plank of his first Budget was dedicated to the environment.
However, many may miss out on the incentives because money has only been set aside for several hundred thousand households and businesses.
It comes as Mr Swan is expected to unveil a $20 million Clean Energy Enterprise Connect Centre and a $15 million Clean Energy Export Strategy to help businesses capitalise on a new industry.
The Government said the strategy would allow Australia to become the "clean energy hub'' of the Asia-Pacific.
Under the strategy, Austrade will promote clean-energy exports and liaison officers.
The new centre will help small and medium firms use latest research and technology to improve products. Households and business will be eligible for immediate relief.
Low-interest loans of up to $10,000 per property for water and energy-efficient products will also be available to 200,000 existing homes and rebates of up to $1000 will be offered to entice 225,000 homes to install solar and heat-pump hot-water systems.
The landlords of 300,000 rental homes will receive a rebate of up to $500 per property to install insulation.
The Government said the $150 million low emission plan for renters would help reduce energy bills up to $336 a year.
It said installing more insulation would cut 2.4 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year and would reduce the need for new energy infrastructure, saving governments $250 million.
Businesses that retrofit existing buildings to reduce their carbon footprint will be subsidised 50 per cent of the cost, up to $200,000.
And grants of up to $500,000 will be available to small and medium manufacturers to become more environmentally friendly.
Mr Swan told Channel 9's Sunday program that climate change policies were dominant in this Budget.
"Our whole Budget is central to delivering our election commitments, and nothing was more central to the election campaign than climate change,'' Mr Swan said.
"So this Budget will deliver on all of those commitments in climate change that we gave during the last election campaign.''
What households get:
* Low-interest green loans of up to $10,000 for water and energy efficiency will be offered to 200,000 existing homes.
* Rebates of up to $1000 will be offered to up to 225,000 homes to install solar and heat-pump hot-water systems.
* Rebates of up to $500 will be on the table for up to 500,000 homes to install new piping for greywater or rainwater tanks.
* Rebates of up to $8000 for the installation of rooftop solar power panels
* Landlords of up to 300,000 homes will receive a rebate of up to $500 to install insulation.
What businesses get:
* Subsidies for businesses that retrofit existing buildings to help reduce their carbon footprint.
* Grants of $10,000 to $500,000 for small and medium manufacturers to become more environmentally friendly.
* A $100m national manufacturing network will provide small to medium businesses with expert advice on how to improve their energy and water efficiency.
* $150m will be spent on an energy innovation fund to keep scientists and researchers in Australia.
* $15m for a Clean Energy Export Strategy to help Austrade promote and compete for clean-energy exports.
* $20m for a Clean Energy Enterprise Connect Centre to research and improve products.
What we know so far:
* Means testing for Family Tax Benefit Part B, probably at the level of $150,000 for the main breadwinner.
* A 50 per cent childcare tax rebate -- an extra $71 for an average family, with two very young children and a mother working two days a week.
* Government will raise the threshold for the Medicare Levy Surcharge for families from $100,000 to $150,000 and from $50,000 to $100,000 for singles.
* A new means test for the Baby Bonus will be introduced so high-income earners will miss out on the $4258 payment.
* Tax on expensive cars -- proposed increase from 25 per cent to 33 per cent on the GST-exclusive value of cars exceeding $57,123.
* A new multibillion-dollar fund to pump money into national road projects with a particular emphasis on Queensland.
* $700 tuition vouchers for struggling students and summer school for teachers will be axed.
* Aged-care funding will be rearranged.
* $100 million for supported accommodation for the disabled.
* A debit card that quarantines half a person's welfare for essentials such as food and clothing.
* Hundreds of grant schemes to be be axed.