See how we worked with the solar industry to help overcome the proposed NSW tariff cutsAt Do Something! we want to help lead the way on Australia
becoming the number #1 solar country in the world.
The potential for solar to generate power, jobs and income for
Australia is very significant and that's why we're running the Go
Solar campaign.
Our campaign kicked off when we partnered with the solar industry
in our successful campaign to stop the NSW government decision to
cut the solar power in NSW by a third. This campaign would have
taken $470 million in income from the 120,000 NSW households who
had installed solar panels as part of the NSW labour government
solar bonus scheme.
Do Something! joined forces with the Australian Solar Energy
Society and the NSW Chapter of the Solar Energy Industries
Association, and engaged in daily planning sessions which led to a
successful solar rally at Customs House in Circular Quay, where
thousands of people turned up to hear a line-up of speakers
including Do Something! founder Jon Dee.
As part of Do Somethings contribution to the campaign, we
recruited former NSW Liberal leader Peter Debnam to come on board
as political advisor to the campaign. This significant
development received widespread media coverage and proved to be a
strategic turning point for the campaign.
The backed down Barry O'Farrell government on June 7th is a win
for common sense, a win for the solar industry and it puts $470
million back into the pockets of the 120,000 households who did the
right thing and installed solar power on their rooftops.
It also shows the consumer power of the many Australians who want
to do something and go solar.
Letter to MPs: Saving at least $455M from the Solar Bonus Scheme -
without retrospective cuts [PDF]
CAMPAIGN COVERAGE
7 June 2011 - O'Farrell abandons plan to
cut solar tariff
The Sydney Morning Herald
Weeks of campaigning by the solar energy industry and the threat of
a backbench revolt have forced the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, to
dump plans to cut the tariff paid to participants in the solar
bonus scheme.
23 May 2011 - Solar industry takes it to the
MPs
The Sydney Morning Herald
The solar-energy industry is pressuring the NSW government to
find an alternative funding solution for the solar bonus scheme by
releasing its proposal to MPs before today's cabinet meeting and
tomorrow's joint party meeting.
22 May 2011 - Time to Do Something!
Peter
The Sun-Herald
Former Liberal Party leader is advising the solar energy industry
on how to torpedo the Coalition government's plan to
retrospectively slash solar bonuses for households who invested in
the bungled government scheme.
22 May 2011 - Families burned by solar
subsidies
The Sunday Telegraph
Ordinary families across the state are furious government
subsidies are under threat after paying up to $22,000 for solar
panels in the hope they would one day have free electricity.
18 May 2011 - O'Farrell's solar program cut
angers protestors
ABC TV News NSW
Protesters in Sydney have voiced their anger at the NSW
Government after Premier Barry O'Farrell announced a cut in the
solar energy bonus scheme.
18 May 2011 - Cut's to solar unjust and
unfair
Jon Dee, ABC Environment
The O'Farrell government's proposal to slash the NSW solar
scheme is not only a broken promise, it is unjust and unfair on the
NSW people.
MEDIA RELEASE
20 May 2011 - "People power" put at risk by
O'Farrell government
The 120,000 NSW households that installed rooftop solar panels
have built the equivalent of a new 300 megawatt power station.
However recent action by the O'Farrell Government means that each
of these households will lose up to $2,000 or more, reports Do
Something! and the Australian Solar Energy Society.
VOLUNTARY NATIONAL PHASE-OUT BAN ON PHOSPHATES
Do Something! has brought about a national ban on phosphates in laundry detergents. The first company to sign on was ALDI and now as of June 2011 all detergent manufacturers have commited to the ban with the last phosphate based detergents to be phased out by mid-2014.
For more info click here.