Latest news with #Amber-JadeSanderson
Perth Now
05-08-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
New Mini Woolies open to support students with disabilities
South Metropolitan TAFE has teamed up with Woolworths to give students with disabilities hands-on experience at a new training facility on the Mandurah campus. The Mini Woolies initiative provides a fully simulated supermarket environment where students can develop practical retail and customer service skills as part of their vocational education. Mandurah MLA Rhys Williams represented Skills and TAFE minister Amber-Jade Sanderson at the official launch last week and said the initiative was a strong example of inclusive education in action. 'The new Mini Woolies at South Metro TAFE is more than just a training space, it's a stepping stone to future education, employment and independence,' he said. 'Mandurah is proudly leading the way as the most accessible and inclusive city in Western Australia and the new Mini Woolies is another step in creating real opportunities for everyone in our community.' Ms Sanderson said the experience would help build the confidence and skills needed for students to move into further training and employment. 'It's another way our TAFE sector is providing training opportunities for Western Australians,' she said. 'Congratulations to South Metropolitan TAFE and Woolworths on this innovative approach to vocational training.'
West Australian
23-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Contracts awarded in ‘largest and most important' project to bring Midwest renewable energy to Perth
Disruptions to households are inevitable during the construction of Western Australia's largest energy infrastructure project, according to Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson. Ms Sanderson said on Wednesday morning $342 million worth of contracts had been awarded to three companies to construct more 26.5km of overhead transmission lines to better connect Perth to renewable projects. UGL Engineering, GenusPlus and Acciona will all take part in projects on the lines as well as constructing terminals which will run from Western Power's Northern Terminal in Malaga to Three Springs. Work is already underway on the projects. Ms Sanderson acknowledged there will be disruptions during the work but said the project was an important one. 'With any major infrastructure project you're going to get disruptions, but this is critical to essentially connecting households to clean energy,' she said. 'The community quite rightly expects and demands that they have access to renewable energy, reliable, affordable, renewable energy, and that's what this trade transmission line will deliver.' The South West Interconnected System is the energy grid which connects the South West of Western Australia, running from the Midwest to the Goldfields and Great Southern. According to the State Government the upgraded infrastructure would connect Perth homes to around 400MW worth of existing wind power and a further 1GW of renewable energy to come. Ms Sanderson said impacted communities and individuals would be consulted. 'Western Power have been consulting carefully with local governments impacted along the line route, with individual land holders as well,' she said. 'They've gone through all of the appropriate approvals processes, enormous amount of meticulous planning and approvals work has been undertaken to deliver this project. 'I'm confident that the team at Western Power and our contracting partners will manage that carefully.' Western Power chief executive officer Sam Barbaro said the upgraded infrastructure would allow the renewable energy to reach the Perth market. 'Some of WA's, and indeed the world's, best renewable resources are in the Midwest of Western Australia which creates significant opportunities for our state for large-scale solar and wind generation,' he said. 'That's why the Clean Energy Link North project is so important, it will unlock these amazing resources and take that renewable energy to the community where it needs it.' Shadow energy minister Steve Thomas said while the upgrades were welcome, there was a lack of long-term public planning. 'We all know and acknowledge that more transmissions lines are needed and in fact the Government is years behind where it needed to be if they were to be any chance at all of completing their energy transition by their target date of October 2029,' he said. 'This announcement is premature however, as it commits hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars before the plan defining how the transition will work has even been finalised and released. 'The Government's Whole of System Plan was released in 2020 but was rapidly out of date. An updated version was due to be released in 2023, but two years later we're still waiting for it.' Ms Anderson said she intended to release the 'broad SWIS plan' later in the year to provide plans on the exact configuration of the transmission lines.
West Australian
18-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Horizon Power says customers not affected by Synergy Centrepay scandal
Horizon Power has confirmed that none of its customers have been affected by the Synergy Centrepay scandal which overcharged nearly 3000 vulnerable customers since 2009. On July 14 the Economic Regulation Authority revealed that Synergy had collected cash through Centrepay — a payment service for Centrelink customers — after vulnerable clients had closed their accounts. It found the government-owned utility, which is the monopoly supplier of electricity on WA's main grid thanks to laws banning competition, overcharged nearly 2845 customers since 2009. Horizon Power, who is the main electricity supplier to regional grids across the State, confirmed that a similar situation had not occurred with their customers. 'Horizon Power is aware of recent reports regarding inactive accounts and can confirm our customers have not been impacted,' a Horizon Power spokesperson said, speaking to the Broome Advertiser on July 18. Regulators found Synergy allegedly failed to notify customers that they had been overcharged within the required 10 business day time frame before hitting the company with an enforcement notice for breaching the State's code of conduct for electricity retailing. The ERA believed $2.3 million remains owed to the Centrelink customers Just hours later, Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said there would be an independent review of Synergy's billing systems. Synergy began contacting customers in April and has so far paid back just 30 per cent of the money owed. Synergy chief Kurt Baker — who has been at the helm since January — said the business 'apologises sincerely' to affected customers. He said Synergy had notified the regulator of the breaches. 'We recognise that the Centrepay bill management system is in place to support vulnerable customers and in this instance, they were let down,' Mr Baker said.
Perth Now
29-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
West Aussies sign up for solar battery rebate scheme
More than 23,000 West Australians have registered their interest to install a solar battery in their homes before a scheme offering a $5000 rebate and interest-free loans has even opened. The State-Federal plan officially opens on Tuesday for up to 100,000 households, with West Aussies who have already registered their expression of interest also receiving an email with further details the same day. Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the strong interest showed many people saw the financial and environmental benefits of solar power. 'We have some of the biggest uptake of household solar of anywhere in the world,' Ms Sanderson said. 'There are times in our grid when it is run by 80 per cent of households' solar. 'We need households to be able to harness that energy and we need the system to be able to access that energy in the battery as well. That's why we have made this commitment to provide rebates to households.' Prior to the March State election, the Cook Government made a $387 million commitment to offer West Aussies the $5000 rebate to purchase and install a home battery, with regional households able to access up to $7500. It was initially going to be made available to 20,000 homes across the State, along with a no-interest loan of $10,000. But this has now expanded to 100,000 households by hooking up with the Federal Government's Cheaper Home Batteries scheme, which will see successful applicants receive the $5000 rebate, with the State Government contributing $1300 per household. No-interest loans up to $10,000 for households with a combined annual income of less than $210,000 will also be provided, with loan repayments periods of up to 10 years. According to Government estimates, households can save about $1500 annually by installing a battery and solar panels. 'People should go to the WA Residential Rebate Scheme web page,' Ms Sanderson said. 'It contains all the information about how to apply for the rebates and the no-interest loans and how the scheme works. 'And there will be information on accredited battery retailers and installers, and approved products. Customers must choose from those accredited retailers and installers.' The average sized battery system costs around $10,000 to $12,000 to purchase and install.
Perth Now
28-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
West Aussies sign up for solar battery rebate scheme before plan rolls out on Tuesday
More than 23,000 West Australians have registered their interest to install a solar battery in their homes before a scheme offering a $5000 rebate and interest-free loans has even opened. The State-Federal plan officially opens on Tuesday for up to 100,000 households, with West Aussies who have already registered their expression of interest also receiving an email with further details the same day. Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the strong interest showed many people saw the financial and environmental benefits of solar power. 'We have some of the biggest uptake of household solar of anywhere in the world,' Ms Sanderson said. 'There are times in our grid when it is run by 80 per cent of households' solar. 'We need households to be able to harness that energy and we need the system to be able to access that energy in the battery as well. That's why we have made this commitment to provide rebates to households.' Prior to the March State election, the Cook Government made a $387 million commitment to offer West Aussies the $5000 rebate to purchase and install a home battery, with regional households able to access up to $17,500. It was initially going to be made available to 20,000 homes across the State, along with a no-interest loan of $10,000. But this has now expanded to 100,000 households by hooking up with the Federal Government's Cheaper Home Batteries scheme, which will see successful applicants receive the $5000 rebate, with the State Government contributing $1300 per household. No-interest loans up to $10,000 for households with a combined annual income of less than $210,000 will also be provided, with loan repayments periods of up to 10 years. According to Government estimates, households can save about $1500 annually by installing a battery and solar panels. 'People should go to the WA Residential Rebate Scheme web page,' Ms Sanderson said. 'It contains all the information about how to apply for the rebates and the no-interest loans and how the scheme works. 'And there will be information on accredited battery retailers and installers, and approved products. Customers must choose from those accredited retailers and installers.' The average sized battery system costs around $10,000 to $12,000 to purchase and install.
