Wed, 14th May 2008

Schools lose water funding

The Hon Greg Hunt MP
Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Urban Water

Parents, teachers and students will now have to hold more fundraisers to find up to $20,000 for water and energy efficiency projects.

The Government has nailed the lid on the coffin of the Green Vouchers for Schools program.

The Coalition program allowed schools to apply for grants of up to $50,000 to install solar hot water systems and rainwater tanks.

The popular program has been replaced by a program that effectively cuts funding for solar hot water systems and rainwater tanks in schools by $20,000. Funds for school water saving / solar hot water programs have now been capped at $30,000 whereas this was previously $50,000.

So for example, an Australian school banking on $50,000 for a rainwater tank or solar hot water system will have to fundraise an additional $20,000.

This is a cost impost on parents, teachers and students.

Mr Garrett had seemingly realised this and had previously indicated on his departmental website that the internal cap of $30,000 on water projects and $20,000 on solar projects would go in favour of a global cap of $50,000 on the school’s environment project of choice.

The cap is back and schools will now lose their flexibility.

I call on Mr Garrett to remove the silly internal cap which prevents schools from pursuing full water or solar programs. Such a change would cost nothing but would give schools greater flexibility.

The loss of the Green Vouchers for Schools program sets a bad lesson for our young Australians as they strive to improve water and energy efficiency at school.