How Australia can find its way out of the energy crisis

John Bain’s letter (4-5/5) expresses the sentiment of many in the community regarding this energy crisis. Under the Constitution, onshore gas resources are the responsibility of the states. Therefore, Queensland has no obligation to supply gas to NSW. Also, Queensland does not have capacity to support the natural gas supplies of NSW and Victoria for the long term. Opposition to building pipelines from Queensland to NSW has forced gas supply via South Australia, which is complicated and expensive. The remedy to this gas shortage is to increase supply. NSW and Victoria are the biggest users of natural gas, but are preventing the development of local gas resources, which perpetuates this crisis. Tough decisions, that is developing local gas resources, have to be made to remedy this issue.

Don McMillan, Paddington, Qld

As the federal government gets together this week in a meeting with state and territory energy ministers to plan out their response to the energy crisis, they should reflect on the prescient advice tabled by a colleague years ago. In his 2017 Daring to Doubt speech, Tony Abbott nailed in one succinct paragraph what a smart nation’s climate/energy policy sounds like: no taxpayer-funded subsidies for new intermittent power; a government-built coal-fired power station to overcome political risk; the gas bans must go; the ban on nuclear power must go too in case a dry country ever needs baseload power with zero emissions. To politicians of all stripes and all jurisdictions – when will you belatedly implement this?

Mandy Macmillan, Singleton, NSW

There is no doubt Australia is experiencing a gas crisis and energy crunch. When industrial energy users are forced to curtail production to take pressure off the grid we know there is a serious problem (“Albanese warned to power up on energy”, 4/6). Many are quick to blame renewables and lack of nuclear power. In fact, it is coal-fired power station failures such as that at Liddell and Eraring, in conjunction with international energy price spikes, that have created the “perfect storm” (“Liddell failure amps up power crisis”, 4/6). As we enter a volatile, uncertain period, it is disappointing that our leaders still turn to coal (“Coal is king for decades under Labor’s watch”, 4/6). We need to adopt a longer-term nationwide plan that enables us to capitalise on cheap renewable energy resources and exit coal in a timely, yet orderly way.

Amy Hiller, Kew, Vic

On May 21, the voice of the Australian people demanded action on climate change, including restricting new fossil fuel sources. I implore parliament to legislate the following:

One, restoring the full petrol excise tax and providing relief only to those in need such as those receiving certain Centrelink allowances. Two, incentivising individual investments in renewable energy, whether in the form of rebates to those in need or public funds for an “EV Superhighway” throughout Australia. Fossil fuel subsidies cost Australians $10.3bn in 2020-21 and $11.6bn in 2021-22; billions we should use implementing renewables. Three, training and assistance for workers in fossil fuel industries. Programs should replace this work with jobs in renewables, recycling or other professions. Our new government must encourage rapid transition to renewable energy.

Judy Bamberger, O’Connor, ACT

Electric dreams

Electric vehicles are coming in large numbers and the big advantage claimed for them is that they will be “emissions-free”. To be emissions-free all recharging would have to be done with renewable power. The manufacture of solar panels and wind turbines used to generate the power as well as all stages of car manufacture would also have to be emissions-free. Any talk of offsets and net zero would be irrelevant because the claim of zero emissions means exactly that – zero. It would be good if those who make the emissions-free claim could tell us roughly when they expect that to be achieved so that I can tell my grandchildren.

David Morrison, Springwood, NSW

Doctors in the house

Jim Chalmers, our new Treasurer, wants to have a national conversation about our spending. In this country there are now many doctors-on-call services. Families call out doctors from these services when their children have a cold or a sore throat and Medicare pays for it at emergency after-hours rates.

There is a whole industry employing inexperienced young doctors doing this superfluous work. This is a luxury we cannot afford and the new Health Minister, Mark Butler, must put a stop to it. No more home visits to private homes after hours. Obviously, in an urgent situation, you go to the emergency department. Of course during the day this can be left to the discretion of busy GPs, who always avoid home visits unless absolutely necessary (and are paid much less).

Dr Sharon Schwartz, Reservoir, Vic