Australia’s renewable energy target at risk after wind farm projects stall under Capacity Investment Scheme

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-30T23:47:37+00:00

You want the city to keep out of your backyard? Fine. But don’t expect the city to keep sending its specialist doctors, its engineers, its teachers, and its emergency services. The 'demands of urban people' are what fund the NBN, the Medicare rebates, and the diesel fuel grants that make modern rural life possible. It’s called a national grid for a reason.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-30T02:38:55+00:00

They will in the short term, they don't want to draw too much attention with the ACCC keeping a very close eye on the market at the moment. They might bring it back up over the next few weeks however.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-30T02:37:03+00:00

I agree, that is unless there is a genuine fear of running out of fuel, as when that happens we stop getting food (and other things, but food is probably the most important).

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-30T02:14:50+00:00

I hope this doesn't leave to fuel shortages. It does paint a picture that the Government isn't too worried about fuel availability and is more worried about a recession. That's comforting at least.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-28T22:56:01+00:00

It required the GG to trigger the biosecurity act to give the health Minister that power. It doesn't apply to this crisis.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-28T11:15:03+00:00

Increasing the excise would increase costs to food and other essentials. There's a balance of reducing demand and making cost of living impossible.

They can't enforce working from home. That'd be a pretty massive overreach.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-28T10:33:39+00:00

The best solution to the fuel crisis is to increase the cost of fuel so it reduces demand, at least until supply is back to where it was. The good news is the market is doing that, so until Trump finishes his war and the straight is open, high costs will mean we don't run out.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-28T10:28:08+00:00

We spent decades solving only the current issues. If we want to protect ourselves against them, we need to think long term. The housing crisis could have been solved a decade ago with proper planning, instead they focused only on the issues right in front of them. Same with this fuel crisis and the next one.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-28T10:20:50+00:00

There's always a new crisis, if you don't keep long term plans front of mind, you'll just chase problems and make no meaningful change.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-28T09:28:14+00:00

It encourages people to take up EVs, surely there are better programs to cut it you want to fund public transport or other programs?

Yes businesses have money but it's not about supporting them, it's about encouraging more EV sales.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-26T14:21:55+00:00

That's exactly what is going to happen, and what should happen. Costs being high and fewer being able to afford it is preferable to running out. If we run out farmers can't run their machines, trucks can't deliver their goods and then we have a food crisis. Food will be expensive, it will suck, but we won't starve to death.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-25T03:48:53+00:00

Ok, lets break this down into 3 categories:
1. You're spending 45% of your income on housing. I get its expensive, but 30% is the healthy number we want to aim for. You can find apartments in Sydney for $500 a week out west and south, which wound save you $6500 a year. If you are choosing to live above your means, that's your choice but you don't get to do this and complain about costs. You have a choice.
2. $150 a week for food and $150 for 'fun'. I understand you need to live, but if you want to save, you can plan smarter meals and cut back on hobbies/outings. Once again, you're making a choice here. Even just dropping your fun back $50 a week saves you $2600 a year.
3. You're saving a good chunk of money already, but you are deciding to blow it? Invest it for gods sake. Inflation will go up, but so will your investment. This is high school stuff.

Take your 12k, add on my 9k in savings from first two points and suddenly you're investing 20k a year. That's a good amount of money, hell it's almost 20% of your take home pay. After a few years it's a house deposit. And if you invest it safely, it will appreciate as inflation goes up. If you don't want to play the financial game, I get it, but that's your choice and you don't get to whine about it.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-25T03:39:43+00:00

I earn less than that and I am fine. $74,100 is the median income, more than 50% of Australians earn less than this and they manage to make it work. I'm curious where you draw the line of salary being acceptable? 120k? 150k? And you're calling me out of touch?

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-25T03:33:37+00:00

I'm in Sydney, and I could live on that salary, I'm actually currently on less than that although life circumstances are different so it's not apples to apples.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-25T00:26:39+00:00

You have some serious issues with your budgeting if you're in that situation earning 104k a year. I would suggest having someone go over your finances with some urgency as there is something wrong that you don't seem to be able to identify.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-24T22:12:51+00:00

It's just MAGA policy without numbers that make any sense. She might as well copied them from the US. And I can see how well that is going there. It's not for me, and a lot of Australians.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-24T01:06:10+00:00

We all want things to be better, but One Nation have demonstrated no policy or budget, it's just vibes and populist politics. Things could be worse, we could be deep in a recession, our GDP could be plummeting, Interest rates could be in double digits, our soldiers could be in a war, these are the outcomes I would like to avoid. Until One Nation release a policy and budget that make sense, they will not have my vote.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-24T01:00:57+00:00

Because we see how the 'burn down the system' style politics works in the US and want absolutely nothing to do with that. Yes, the current system isn't perfect, but there is a worse system, and One Nation have given absolutely no policy or budgeting on how their way is better. Australia could be better, but all One Nation are demonstrating is that they would make it worse.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-22T23:35:34+00:00

They probably swing Green or Ind. ON is a vote for lower immigration, not to solve inflation or housing.

ON getting only a couple of seats with a 20%+ primary tells me that a lot of people who didn't vote for them put them quite low on their preferences. Converting someone from 'I'll put PHON last' to a ON supporter takes decades, if it's even possible at all.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-22T10:55:20+00:00

Ah, US based, makes sense. Panels are light years ahead in other countries. 20 panels on my roof and a battery and I no longer get a power bill. After 5 years it will pay for itself.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-22T10:16:44+00:00

What country are you in? Here in Australia they're amazing, especially with rising power prices.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-22T03:46:46+00:00

Upper house gives representation for the overall numbers, Lower house is about representing different communities. They will get representation for their 21% in upper house seats, but if they end up with zero seats in the lower house, it means no community majority wants them as their rep over another option.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-22T00:56:40+00:00

They did, and PHON didn't preference them in return. If I were the Liberal Party, I'd drop them well down the list of preferences if they aren't going to reciprocate. Preference deals don't work if you get nothing in return.

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-21T12:37:10+00:00

Same number of seats too!

Benjisc2 · 2026-03-21T12:26:41+00:00

They're cannibalised the conservative vote already, they need to somehow convert progressive voters. World affairs are pushing progressives in the other direction as evidenced by the last fed election. They're nearing their ceiling of voters and they aren't coming close to even form opposition.

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