Renewable energy is shaping as a battleground in the West Australian election campaign, with Labor promising a major local manufacturing investment and the Liberal opposition forced to defend its own ambitious plans.
Premier Mark McGowan on Wednesday unveiled a $259 million green jobs package which he described as responsible and affordable.
The plan is centred on the construction of more than 1000 stand-alone power systems including solar panels, battery storage and back-up generators.
They will be distributed throughout regional WA, including remote Aboriginal communities, to reduce reliance on diesel generators.
A further $10 million will go towards supporting wind turbine manufacturing.
West Australians will also be banned from putting E-waste into landfill from 2024, with the government putting $14 million aside for the construction of a suitable recycling plant.
With voters set to go to the polls on March 13, Mr McGowan again sought to contrast his government's "responsible" plans from those of the Liberals.
"Aboriginal communities, remote communities, regional towns and regional communities all over WA will be the beneficiary of this, and we'll undertake the manufacturing right here in WA," the premier told reporters.
"This is embracing renewable power and manufacturing in a responsible, achievable and affordable way. This is not a wild commitment. This is costed, this is something that can be implemented and it will make a significant difference."
Opposition Leader Zak Kirkup has faced blowback over an ambitious plan for a state Liberal government to reach net zero emissions by 2030.
He has promised to shut down coal-fired power stations by 2025 and deliver a massive wind and solar farm in the state's Mid West to generate renewable energy.
Federal Energy Minister and Liberal colleague Angus Taylor last week criticised the plan, saying governments should be focused on helping businesses to upgrade to energy efficient technologies.
"This is how it's done," he told Sky News.
"Not by closing coal-fired power stations prematurely, it's by getting on and deploying those technologies in sensible commercial ways."
Former opposition leader Mike Nahan, who will retire at the March election, has also criticised the policy.
But Mr Kirkup, a first-term MP whose party is trailing heavily in the polls, said the plan had generated "renewed interest" in the Liberals.
"There's been a lot of interest from the community across the board," he said on Wednesday.
"And I'm very pleased that there have been people who have come forward and said they want to back our plan in.
"From my perspective, this is core Liberal policy."
