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Never at war with renewables, Hunt says

The environment minister says he killed off an idea about an inquiry into the Bureau of Meteorology over climate change reports.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt

Environment Minister Greg Hunt (AAP) Source: AAP

Environment Minister Greg Hunt insists renewable energy has always been important to the federal government, denying the two were ever at war.

Mr Hunt has revealed he killed off a plan by the office of former prime minister Tony Abbott to investigate claims the nation's weather bureau fudged global warming data to exaggerate its impact.

The minister, who has retained his portfolio in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's cabinet, said he always had full confidence in the "world-class" Bureau of Meteorology.

He did not agree with claims the bureau's reports amounted to climate change propaganda.

Asked if the coalition's war on renewables was now over, Mr Hunt denied any such conflict existed.

While varying views existed within the party, the government's policy was to double large-scale renewable and small scale-solar projects.

"My message to the sector and the public is that there is an important role for renewables," he told ABC radio on Friday.

"People should have confidence that those settings will be not only maintained but can and will be met."

The "rock solid" renewable energy target was set in legislation.

"There are no excuses for not investing and not moving forward."

Mr Hunt said he was not philosophically opposed to lifting the ban on investment in wind technology.

The minister on Friday is holding talks with officials from the "green bank" Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, both of which the Abbott government failed to abolish.

The agencies now come under the environment portfolio.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



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