Supporting a clean energy future in the Macedon Ranges

The Gillard Government is taking action to tackle climate change by putting a price on pollution and ensuring all money raised will go to protecting households, supporting jobs and building a clean energy future.

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, and the Member for McEwen, Rob Mitchell, today visited a local supermarket in Romsey with a family who will receive household assistance to help them adjust to the impact of a carbon price on their family budget.

“The Government is taking action on climate change to put Australia in a strong position in the future for our children and grandchildren,” Ms Macklin said.

“Putting a price on carbon will require Australia’s biggest polluters to pay for the pollution that they put into our atmosphere. A carbon price is not a tax on households.”

More than half of the revenue raised by the carbon tax will go to helping households make ends meet.

“I understand that balancing the family budget isn’t an easy task for many families in and around Romsey, Gisborne and the Macedon Ranges,” said Ms Macklin.

“That’s why the Government will look after those people who don’t have a lot of room to move in their budgets, like families on low incomes and pensioners.”

Mr Mitchell said the household assistance package would give local families the support they need to meet their average extra costs.

“These local families and individuals are some of the nine out of 10 households across Australia that will receive assistance through a combination of tax cuts, higher family payments and increases in pensions and benefits,” Mr Mitchell said.

“For the first time in this country’s history, Australia’s big polluters will have to pay for the pollution they create. And every dollar raised will go to assisting households, supporting jobs, and investing in a clean energy future.”

For more information about the Gillard Government’s plan for a clean energy future visit www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au

The facts on Household Assistance

On average, prices will rise by $9.90 per week for households but the Government has made sure they will get $10.10 per week in assistance.

Tax cuts

The Government will deliver tax cuts that will increase the tax free threshold from $6,000 to $18,200 on 1 July 2012, and to $19,400 on 1 July 2015. This will mean that over a million Australians will get more money in their pay packet each week and will no longer need to lodge a tax return.

From day one of the carbon price on 1 July 2012, every taxpayer with income below $80,000 will receive a tax cut, with most getting at least $300 a year.

These tax cuts will be permanent, and they will increase. On 1 July 2015, a second round of tax cuts will apply, increasing the benefit to at least $385 a year for most taxpayers earning under $80,000 compared to now.

Household payments

People on pensions and other payments will receive:

• $338 per year for single pensioners and eligible self-funded retirees, and up to $510 per year for pensioner or eligible self-funded retiree couples combined.
• Up to $110 extra per child for a family that receives Family Tax Benefit Part A.
• Up to $69 extra for families that receive Family Tax Benefit Part B.
• Up to $218 extra per year for single income support recipients, $234 per year for single parents and up to $390 per year for couples combined for jobseekers and students.

A special Single Income Family Supplement of up to $300 will assist single income families with income between $68,000 and $150,000, recognising that, unlike dual income families, these single income families only get one tax cut.