Braddon Independent candidate and current MP Craig Garland, has today unveiled a number of his energy policies, drawing a sharp contrast between his community-first approach and what he describes as the State Government’s “big business-first” agenda.
“At the heart of the major parties’ energy plan for Tasmania is a multi-billion-dollar deal to help energy corporations export Tasmanian electricity to the mainland—at the direct expense of local consumers,” Mr Garland said.
“Marinus Link and its associated infrastructure will drive up power prices for ordinary Tasmanians, while corporations cash in. Despite being the biggest infrastructure project in Tasmania’s history, the Government still hasn’t released the whole-of-state business case. What are they hiding?”
Mr Garland said he is not waiting for the Government to come clean. “I’m making my position crystal clear: I oppose Marinus Link. I want to put Tasmanian electricity consumers first—not mainland energy markets and not private developers.”
According to Mr Garland, the modelling used to promote Marinus Link is flawed and fails to account for the full cost impacts on consumers.
“If Marinus goes ahead, network charges on power bills could rise by 40% or more. And that’s based on a $5 billion cost estimate—which is almost certain to blow out, just like every other major project,” he said.
“Tasmanians have the highest electricity bills in the country, and too many people simply can’t afford to pay their bills. It’s time to redirect public funds to solutions that actually reduce costs for households, particularly those on low incomes.”
As part of his policy, Mr Garland is proposing a properly funded trial of a community battery in Shorewell Park to store and re-distribute excess rooftop solar energy. The battery has already been funded by the Commonwealth Government.
“At the moment, only four houses with solar panels are connected to this battery. So it’s not being used anywhere near its capability. I want the State Government to install solar panels on every house connected to the battery and let’s evaluate the impact on people’s bills. These kinds of trials are happening across the country—and Commonwealth funding is available for the solar panels. Why is Tasmania being left behind?”
Mr Garland also pledged to drive a major investment in home energy efficiency, particularly for renters and low-income households, by redirecting some of the $400 million the State Government was to invest in Marinus Link.
“This is one of the most effective ways to lower household electricity consumption and cut bills. I’ll ask the Treasury to model different approaches, including no-interest loans or property-linked charges that are repaid upon sale.”
Mr Garland called for a reset of TasNetworks’ priorities, arguing the corporation has been too focused on delivering Marinus and the North West Transmission Development, and not doing enough to support households to develop their own energy resources and resilience.
“I’ll seek a new Statement of Expectations for TasNetworks—one that requires them to prioritise consumer energy resources and affordability.”
He also proposed the introduction of state government targets for household energy generation and storage, along with regular public reporting.
“Improving energy efficiency, supporting rooftop solar, and investing in smart storage solutions won’t just cut bills—they’ll strengthen our economy, reduce future expenditure on our electricity grid and make Tasmania’s energy future fairer and more sustainable.”
Mr Garland also stated that “this energy policy is the result of many years advocating for smarter energy policy, 12 months of a strong focus on energy matters in my role as MP, and many conversations and meetings with people in the field.”