Grattan Institute report argues fall in costs will provide federal government room for more action on climate * Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here Australian household energy bills will halve by 2050 as solar panels, batteries and electric cars and appliances become the norm, reducing pressure on the federal government over living costs and creating room for more climate action, a thinktank study suggests. Modelling by the Grattan Institute finds that cutting greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in line with the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 will cut average household energy costs from about $5,800 today to about $3,000. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...

In Whanganui, information from the Government’s own Road Cone Tipline had actually led to more cones being put out than taken away. In Wellington, 110 complaints resulted in just two cones being removed.