The policy priorities we highlighted during the previous election
Building Australia's Future
Australia is a wealthy nation. We believe there is enough national will and wealth to develop a national infrastructure program.
Energy supply
The Australian Progressives support:
- Increased funding to alternative energy research and development.
- The restoration of rebates for domestic solar energy fed back into the grid.
- Means tested subsidy of solar hot water systems up to 25% of the total cost for new consumers with incomes less than $80,000 p.a and up to 50% for concession card holders.
- Negotiated industry subsidies for the establishment of solar and wind turbine farms established in regional Australia
- The transitioning of coal out of the economy to be gradually replaced with green energy systems.
- Policies to fund research into waste incineration technologies and systems for energy creation purposes
- Commiting to a review on Australian legislative bans on Nuclear and Related Technologies, and assessing the evidence regarding the inclusion of Nuclear Power in the Australian energy market.
Water supply
The Australian Progressives support:
- Developing options to construct sea water purification facilities in each capital city
- Policies to subsidise the purchase and installation of domestic rainwater tanks in households earning less than $80,000 p.a. up to 25% of the purchase price
- Policy to invest in smart technologies research to improve water consumption for domestic and commercial applications
- Programmes that provide education and training for primary sector producers in efficient and effective water management
Agricultural development
The Australian Progressives will:
- Enact the recommendations from the South Australian Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin System.
- Support a renegotiated Murray Darling Basin Agreement to enforce tighter provisions to private water access and improved river flows.
- Push for the establishment of national education programs and producers?? for farmers on sustainable agricultural and water management practices.
- Support an additional water consumption levy imposed on the Cubbie Station and similar sized water consumers to be used for improved water management practices.
- Back policies to boost regional telecommunications and internet infrastructure to allow farmers to access and utilise innovative agricultural technologies.
- Advocate for the development of urban agriculture in all urban areas.
Regional development and enhancement
The Australian Progressives support:
- Relocating viable industries out of the cities and into regional locations.
- Development of improved national transportation systems.
- Establishing a local government grants scheme up to $100m p.a for local government to bid for one off infrastructure programs, projects and services.
- Policies to ensure that mining profits are shared with rural areas via an allocation from a sovereign wealth fund.
Transport Infrastructure
Australian Progressives support:
- The development of a new single-gauge national rail loop system, centred on a High-Speed Rail loop connecting all Australian Capitals: Brisbane-Sydney-Canberra-Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth-Darwin-Brisbane.
- Working in conjunction with State and Territory governments to align a national rail loop system with secondary rail development projects.
- The expansion of a cohesive national roads system, the maintenance of existing roads, and the subsidisation of local and regional governments road maintenance programmes.
- A significant increase in Commonwealth investment in urban public transport.
- The re-nationalisation of public transport previously sold off.
- Efforts towards prioritising Public Mass-Transit.
- Introducing a congestion charge during peak hours in high congestion city areas modelled off of other schemes worldwide.
- Policies to increase public transport convenience, quality and safety.
- Policies that aim to raise the percentage of children that walk, ride or take the bus/train/ferry to school.
- Policies to revive rail transport for regional goods distribution.
- Efforts to buy or build environmentally friendly and sustainable options for rolling stock.
- The roll-out of autonomous/“self drive” vehicles and develop appropriate road rule and other legal changes to accommodate.
- Standardising rideshare legislation with the aim to find middle ground with the professional taxi/hire car industry to avoid unfairly burdening one over the other.
- Efforts to measure, report on and set goals to improve air quality near major roads/most traffic pollution affected areas.
- Policies to modernise vehicle registration costs.
- Policies to reclaim road or parking space as the transition away from private car-centric transport progresses.
The Australian Progressives oppose the privatisation of transport infrastructure and public transport.
CSIRO and Universities
The Australian Progressives will:
- Reform the CSIRO funding model to increase financial security.
- Increase funding for all research.
- Support policies to develop commercialisation expertise to improve returns on investment.
New Industry development
- The Australian Progressives will create a new division in the CSIRO and set up a government Venture Capital fund to seed early stage and emerging growth companies in Australia based on their potential for success. All returns will be directed back into the fund.
- We will develop government policy to provide technical and business support to help ensure success.
Defence Industry
- The Australian Progressives support maintaining a minimum of 2.75% of GDP for the defence budget
- We support maintaining defence support industries in Australia, with support services and industries located in major regional areas – subject to security and defence operational requirements.
Space Industry
The Australian Progressives support:
- Policies to build Australia a long term, productive, presence in Space
- The establishment of an independent advisory body on space priorities and funding.
- Policies to develop Australian based orbital lift capacity.
- Promoting close working relationships with other nations developing their space industry.