Western Australian Treasurer Christian Porter has delivered a 2011 Western Australian State Budget that contains no new news for sustainable energy, merely completing prior commitments to renewables and only empty spaces in the forward estimates were Government funding commitments to renewables might otherwise be found.

Only yesterday (18 May 2011) a joint announcement from Western Australia's Environment Minister Bill Marmion and Energy Minister Peter Collier claimed the "State Government believes WA should become a world leader in low emissions technologies." The Sustainable Energy Association of Australia asks how will Western Australia achieve this without some significant financial commitments by the Barnett Government?

Notably the unqualified target originally proposed by the 2008 Garnaut Climate Change Review said Australia should look to reduce emission by 25% on 2000 levels by 2020, and 90% by 2050.

However, commitments by both sides of politics in Australia have chosen to commit Australia to only a 5% cut by 2020, with a promise to review the targets if global agreement is reached.

In announcing the fund, the Environment Minister stated that the "State Government believes WA should become a world leader in low emissions technologies."

Treasurer Wayne Swan has said the Labor Budget is a "plan to build the more productive workforce our economy needs, including a $3 billion training package, new ways to get people into work, and critical new investments in economic infrastructure".

‘The Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA) has been arguing for almost a decade for growth in jobs and the economy by building renewable energy projects,' says Prof. Ray Wills, SEA Chief Executive.

Announcements today by the Bligh Government on the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme has been welcomed by the Sustainable Energy Association of Australia.