Rudd To Insulate Economy With Green Jobs  

The Australian reports that there is a chunk of money allocated for green projects, including increasing the energy efficiency of housing, in the< Rudd government's $42 billion economic stimulus package - Rudd To Insulate Economy With Green Jobs.

KEVIN Rudd will use a multi-billion-dollar green jobs package to stimulate the economy as new figures show the budget will be at least $15 billion a year in deficit for the next four years, before adding in the cost of new spending.

More than 2.2 million owner-occupied homes will qualify for free ceiling insulation under the Prime Minister's plan, an element of a multi-pronged economic stimulation package expected to be announced tomorrow.

The Government will also double, from $500 to $1000, ceiling insulation subsidies for owners of 500,000 rental properties.

Mr Rudd will sell his plan as an attempt to tackle climate change while also creating jobs to stimulate economic activity and offset the effects of the global economic slowdown.

AUTHORITIES have been warned to prepare for more damaging power blackouts, as the massive financial losses and the number of deaths from the heatwave that has crippled southeast Australia grow.

Temperatures in Adelaide reached 40C again yesterday and the soaring temperatures are forecast to remain throughout this week. South Australian police yesterday declined to reveal the number of sudden deaths reported to them over the weekend, but it is believed there were up to a dozen yesterday and a few more on Saturday.

Nineteen people died on Friday in circumstances thought to be heat-related.

Victoria Police said the heatwave was believed to have caused the death of six people.

In Victoria, business estimated the blackouts - culminating in the loss of power to hundreds of thousands of businesses and homes on Friday night - left a damage bill of $100 million with employers forced to close, and commuter chaos on the rail services. The Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry also warned yesterday that the chaos from the heatwave could be repeated unless infrastructure was upgraded.

VECCI spokesman Chris James said more action was needed to ensure Victorians did not have to endure a repeat of the problems that emerged on Friday as Melbourne experienced its third consecutive day above 43C.

"It's obvious that there's a need in terms of transport in particular to take a much longer-term view with investing in the infrastructure and making sure it is heat-proof," he told ABC radio.

The nation's peak energy body warned that state energy ministers needed to take decisive action this week to secure power and gas assets. Andrew Blyth, chief executive of the Energy Network Association, said the ministers needed to order an independent review of a recent decision to reduce investment incentives by more than $350 million.