News

Labor attempts to make up for solar panel rebate disaster

Friday 7 June 2019

After intense scrutiny and complaints from the solar industry and customers when applications for solar panel rebates closed on 12 April this year, the Andrews Labor Government has back-flipped and reopened applications.

Nationals Member of Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy said the Government had obviously crumbled under the pressure of a broken promise they made to Victorians back in September last year for rebates to be available until June 30 2019.

“While this seems to be good news, the applications only cover households who installed solar panels between 19 August 2018 and 12 April 2019,” he said.

“It is interesting that the Government could find some money to provide rebates for customers who installed panels before 12 April 2019 but not for those who installed after this date.

“So Labor are picking and choosing and still can’t keep to what they originally promised.”

Mr McCurdy said the Solar Victoria website included a statement that the Victorian Government believed people who bought solar installations in good faith should not be disadvantaged. 

“Well they are still disadvantaging people as there has been no formal announcement of this opportunity by the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio, and it has been poorly advertised,” he said.

“Households only have until the 14 June to submit their applications and I have discovered that this has already been available for just over two weeks.

“This is just unacceptable and doesn’t make up for the total debacle the Andrew Labor Government has made of this process.

“I encouraged all households who missed out on the solar panel rebate prior to 12 April to get their applications in as soon as possible.”

Details regarding rebate applications for installations completed between 19 August 2018 and 12 April 2019 can be found at the following link: https://www.solar.vic.gov.au/Solar-rebates