24 June 2013

Seminars on our Clean Energy Future, in everyone's language

A series of seminars is being staged this month to further assist small business people from non-English speaking backgrounds to better understand the assistance available under the Australian Government's Clean Energy Future initiative.

CEF initiatives and funding programs have been helping the nation reduce pollution, improve competitiveness and sustainability and to drive investment in clean technologies and processes.

Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business, Bernie Ripoll, today said the information seminar series is part of the Government's commitment to ensure everyone, including the four million-plus who speak a language other than English, have the facts about the carbon price.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for small business operators from non-English speaking backgrounds to embrace Australia's Clean Energy Future and understand the opportunities and benefits available to them as their businesses transition to a low carbon economy. Small businesses can improve their energy efficiency in lots of different ways, reducing their own energy costs and saving on their bottom line," Parliamentary Secretary Bernie Ripoll said.

"Small businesses don't pay the carbon price – it is a price paid by Australia's biggest polluters. The carbon price does not significantly impact small businesses. In fact, the Clean Energy Future package includes assistance for pensioners and low and middle income households, through tax cuts and increased payments, so they can continue to support small businesses in their local community."

Small businesses need to understand how any indirect cost increases from the carbon price may impact on them, and know what resources the Australian Government has available to help them adapt.

The seminars will explain how CEF initiatives have been driving investment in renewable energy and clean technologies, and outline measures such as the small business instant asset write-off threshold increase to assist small businesses to grow and invest in new, more energy efficient equipment.

The seminars will make clear the options for small businesses to improve their energy efficiency through better and smarter heating, cooling and lighting systems or use; refrigeration needs and technologies and minimising hot water waste.

For more information about the seminar series, email Jessica@culturalpartners.com.au or call 02 8752 7688. For more information on the Clean Energy Future initiative, companies should visit cleanenergyfuture.gov.au.

24 June 2013