Draft legislation released on the carbon price

The Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, Wayne Swan, and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, today released exposure drafts of the key bills in the government’s Clean Energy Legislative Package.

The Clean Energy Legislative Package includes four main bills - the Clean Energy Bill 2011 (which sets up the carbon price mechanism); the Clean Energy Regulator Bill 2011 (which establishes a regulatory body to administer the mechanism); the Climate Change Authority Bill 2011 (which establishes a new Authority to advise the government on the future design of the carbon price mechanism); and the Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011.

In addition there are several bills dealing with other consequential and procedural matters and bills dealing with fuel tax arrangements.
The legislative package also includes provisions for the government’s Jobs and Competiveness Program, which will assist for emissions-intensive and trade-exposed industries, and for the Energy Security Fund, which will assist electricity generators to ensure energy security.

An additional bill which incorporates the government’s household assistance measures announced is currently being drafted.

“The release of the Clean Energy Legislative Package is the next step forward in this major economic and environmental reform,” Swan said.

“The government is now releasing exposure drafts of the legislation and will seek comments from the public, stakeholders and legal experts.”

Combet said the Gillard Government was getting on with the job of legislating to tackle climate change by putting a price tag on every tonne of pollution produced by around 500 large polluters from 1 July 2012.

“This legislative package will give businesses and investors certainty about the carbon price, allowing them to plan new investments including in the renewable and clean energy technologies of the future,” Combet said.

This legislation will be part of the whole package that will be introduced into Parliament later this year. Submissions on the Clean Energy Legislative Package can be sent to the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency until 5 pm on Monday 22 August 2011.

The draft bills and a fact sheet are available at www.climatechange.gov.au.

Submissions or questions about the draft bills can be emailed to cleanenergybills@climatechange.gov.au.

The government said it will consider submissions on the drafting of the bills before they are introduced into the Parliament.