The Age, 16 January 2006:

THE Federal Government has slashed solar electricity rebates to community organisations and schools and will phase out financial incentives for residential and commercial solar power installations by the middle of next year.

The Australia Greenhouse Office, which offers cash refunds to home owners, community groups and developers installing photo-voltaic (PV) panels to generate electricity, quietly halved the maximum rebate to community organisations on January 1, from $8000 to $4000. Rebates available to private home owners will be gradually reduced until the program is closed in 2007.

Treasurer Peter Costello, Budget speech, 8 May 2007:

Mr Speaker, one of the great challenges we have is to maintain the beautiful, diverse and precious natural environment we have in Australia.

Our responsibility is to manage the environment for future generations. One of the serious long term threats is global warming…

We want to encourage homeowners to install solar panels across Australia. The current rebates will be doubled so that households will receive up to $8,000 for installing an average system, which costs around $14,000, a rebate of over 50 per cent. Grants of up to $12,000 will be available for solar panels in schools and community buildings.