Labor’s environmental credentials under fire after budget cuts to green schemes

Labor’s environmental credentials have come under fire after funding for several green schemes were slashed or axed in the state budget, coinciding with a decline in Adelaide’s tree cover.

The environmental credentials of the new state Labor government have come under fire, with key lobby groups challenging budget cuts.

After declaring a climate emergency on Tuesday, the government handed down a budget on Thursday that slashed schemes supporting solar, electric vehicles and home batteries, and also axed city greening grants.

It comes as Adelaide’s tree canopy cover is declining, with almost 10 per cent of residential tree cover lost in a decade.

The goal under the 30-Year Plan For Adelaide, initiated when Labor was last in power, was an increase of 20 per cent by 2045.

Conservation SA chief executive Craig Wilkins said he was “disappointed” in the loss of the Grid Scale Storage Scheme ($20m), the Home Battery Scheme ($19m) and a subsidy scheme for home electric vehicle smart charging ($11.2m).

He was also surprised to discover Greening Adelaide’s Heart ($10m) and Greener Neighbourhoods ($4.5m) had been axed.

“We know we need to rapidly increase green and tree canopy in Adelaide to prepare for global heating,” Mr Wilkins said.

“Trees are essential air conditioners for our city streets, and we are far from meeting our green canopy targets. Now is not the time to scrap programs that increase greening.”

Local Government Association president Angela Evans said she was concerned about cuts to greening “as this won’t help achieve the state government’s own targets for increased tree canopy cover”.

Conservation Council of SA CEO Craig Wilkins.Picture Mark Brake

“Councils invest millions of dollars every year providing and maintaining trees in streets and public parks because we know increasing green cover is essential to liveability and responding to climate change,” she said.

“I will be seeking further engagement from the state government on this matter to continue important work on this objective, including through an independent review of planning legislation and the 30-Year Plan.”

SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock said he was surprised, disappointed and “really, really sad” about the loss of the renewable energy schemes because it was “such a destructive act”.

“It just feels like we’re back to the climate wars. These policies are being used as a big stick for partisan means,” he said.

“South Australia is leading the world in battery installations and solar installations and what the industry craves and consumers crave is stability.

State opposition leader David Speirs. Photo: Roy VanDerVegt.

“To have these big shocks almost overnight to industry and to consumers, it’s really destructive and it really doesn’t help.”

Opposition leader David Speirs said: “It’s rank hypocrisy to declare a climate emergency only to then cut nearly $70m worth of practical environmental initiatives days later.”

But Environment Minister Susan Close said the budget was “a win for climate change and nature”, with new funding for election commitments more than compensating for cuts.

“The Department for Environment and Water will be better off in operating budget initiatives by $27m over the next four years,” she said.

The government said some greening projects were managed by the Transport Department.

“Many of the projects are for new parks, upgrades to existing parks and larger open spaces,” a spokesman said.