Candidates divided on solar panel plans

Mayoral candidates from the Greens, ALP and Liberal parties all have different viewpoints on Council’s plan to install solar panels on buildings across Sydney. On August 1, City of Sydney Council announced plans to spend $6 million to install panels in Council-owned buildings across Sydney. They claimed the panels would generate nearly 20 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, making it the biggest building-based solar panel installation in Australia.

Irene Doutney, the Greens Lord Mayoral election candidate, said this is a good leading role set by the City in encouraging people to use solar panels in addressing climate change.

“It is part of a bigger picture of the number of different Mayoral candidates from the Greens, ALP and Liberal parties all have different viewpoints on Council’s plan to install solar panels on buildings across Sydney.” On August 1, City of Sydney Council announced plans to spend $6 million to install panels in Council-owned buildings across Sydney. They claimed the panels would generate nearly 20 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, making it the biggest building-based solar panel installation in Australia.

Irene Doutney, the Greens Lord Mayoral election candidate, said this is a good leading role set by the City in encouraging people to use solar panels in addressing climate change. “It is part of a bigger picture of the number of different good payback, I would say that everyone would want to have solar panels on their building, [in] every household. It’s just common sense.

“[The $6 million] can certainly be spent on security. Kings Cross could be safer; Oxford St could be safer,” he said. “It’s very tough times at the moment. Council should be controlling its
spending.”

Both Mr Mandla and Ms Doutney acknowledged the solar panel project was an ongoing issue and were cautious in whether to call it an election stunt by Clover Moore. “Council should be doing
whatever it can to reduce its cost. If solar panel makes financial sense, they should do it,” Mr Mandla said. Ms Doutney said: “I don’t think it’s an election stunt. I think it has been part of our sustainability measures as long as I’ve been on Council. It has taken a long time to find providers and negotiate prices that are affordable.”