Draft Community Charter

Draft

Community Charter For The Future Of Electricity In The Blue Mountains

The Ten Point Plan

The people of the Blue Mountains want reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity. We recognise that the current use of coal fired base load power stations is unsustainable, increasingly unreliable and ultimately unaffordable. We are committed to addressing the impact of climate change on future generations by reducing the use of carbon based electricity generation. To achieve this all levels of government must work within the following policy objectives.

1. The future of electricity needs to address the issue of climate change by moving to renewable energy supplies.

2. Managing the change from carbon-based electricity to renewable electricity requires all electricity generation to remain in public hands.

3. The cost of this change must not be imposed on low-income earners.

4. The cost of this change should be supported by the issuing of high yield ‘Energy Bonds’.

5. Electricity efficiency must be increased in all households and businesses to decrease demand for electricity. Changes to household and business infrastructure to increase the efficiency of electricity usage will be subsidised by electricity generators.

6. To achieve objective 5 an education campaign amongst households and businesses will be implemented. This information for households and businesses will not only cover information on how to reduce electricity demand, but also on monitoring their demand through information on how to read your electricity meter.

7. The Blue Mountains must move to renewable electricity supplies as a matter of urgency through the creation of community owned and based generators powered by wind and solar.

8. As an interim measure the Blue Mountains may use gas powered “peaking plants” during the transition process.

9. The Blue Mountains recognises that there is no need for a new base load generator if objectives 2, 5, 7, and 8 are achieved.

10. All levels of government need to increase investment in renewable energy research, development and infrastructure rollout as a policy priority.