Mike Cannon-Brookes’ renewables pledge for bushfire communities

Mike Cannon-Brookes has invested $12 million to bring renewable energy to 100 bushfire communities in 100 days.

Mike Cannon-Brookes, at Atlassian’s Sydney offices on Wednesday, hopes to provide power to 100 sites in 100 days. Picture: John Feder.

Australian tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes is pouring millions of dollars into a renewable energy initiative that aims to provide power to 100 bushfire communities in 100 days.

The Atlassian boss and his wife, Annie, are investing $12m in ­Resilient Energy Collective, a program to rapidly install solar panels and batteries in communities affected by the fires.

Elon Musk’s Tesla and solar provider 5B are on board as partners, and Mr Cannon-Brookes is calling on Australia’s energy companies to join in.

He said Resilient was already operating in Cobargo in NSW and East Gippsland in Victoria, and was in talks with energy providers to help other communities.

“This is not science fiction, all the tech we’ve ‘invented’ has come from Bunnings,” he said. “It’s a great example that we don’t need a technology investment road map, as much as just using the technology we already have in clever ways.

“Between our financial contribution and our partners’, we can fund up to 100 sites that we can roll out in the next 100 days. There are a lot of people still without power and we’re doing what we can to help them, with the tech we have and the smarts we have.”

He said that he was putting the $12m into buying solar panels and batteries.

Mr Cannon-Brookes, who has repeatedly hit out at Prime Minister Scott Morrison for inaction on climate change, said he wanted to send a message to the government that fast progress was possible. “There are obviously a lot of changes that need to happen in Canberra to move to a more progressive stance to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of Australia,” he said. “We’re doing what we do best, which is rolling up your sleeves, figuring out how you can get it on a truck and getting it out there.

“It will work at night, it will keep working, and it can sit there 20 years if you want it to. So my message to Canberra is let’s get this going at a broader level.”

He predicted a future for Australia in which many communities would operate on solar power, off the grid. “It will be more stable, more resilient, and less prone to damage,” he said. “To get this done, we need the co-operation of the energy providers, we want to work with them to identify the areas most in need.”

The tech executive, who is worth an estimated $15bn, ­recently bought at auction a South Sydney Rabbitohs cap owned by Russell Crowe. He paid $200,000, with the money going to the NSW Rural Fire Service. He has since framed the cap and sent it to the RFS.

He’s also urged support for independent MP Zali Steggall’s proposed climate change bill, which would set a target of net zero emissions by 2050 as well as five-yearly carbon budgets.

“It will drive positive economic change for this country and get us through this transition,” Mr Cannon-Brookes said. “On an international stage, where we’re becoming a leper when it comes to climate things, I hope it goes some way to restoring our reputation.

“We have to turn up in Glasgow (at the UN climate summit in November) with something, or we’re going to be an international laughing stock.”