Sweating on solar panels: Schools still await promised funding

Sunday Tasmanian
3 July 2011, Page: 15

GOVERNMENT schools being asked to make significant budget savings are frustrated by the wait for promised funding for solar panels. Through the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency's National Solar Schools Program, schools can apply for up to $50,000 for solar panels. Thirty-three Tasmanian Government schools received funding under 2010-11 grants. Schools told late last year about their grants success are still waiting for their money.

Twelve non government schools that won grants have already received money through individual funding agreements with the climate change department. Payments to government schools must go through state and territory governments via a national partnership agreement that is yet to be signed. A spokesman for the DCCEE said the department and the state and territory governments were still working to agree on the national partnership agreement for the program. He said the process was close to being finalised.

One of the schools waiting for funding is the brand new Kingston High School. School association member Lisa Estreich said the long delay was disappointing given schools had been asked to find significant savings due to the state's dire financial situation. Ms Estreich said solar panels would allow schools to make savings by cutting power bills.

Education Minister Nick McKim said the national partnership agreement on the NSSP was taking a "considerable period of time", but the State Government had done nothing to delay the process. Mr McKim said the Department of Premier and Cabinet received the final version of the Australian Government's proposed agreement on June 27. Sixty-seven Tasmanian schools were granted funding in the 2009-10 grant round, with most schools receiving close to the maximum amount.