Slashed feed-in tariff for solar power in NSW

Not sure if you heard the news..... but in NSW the gross feed in tariffs for solar power have just been reviewed and reduced from 60 cents to 20 cents a kilowatt hour!!

We have our solar array generating and feeding into the grid already so our 60 cents a kilowatt hour is locked in until 2016.... although I think there is a 300 megawatt cap.  However, if you were considering installing solar power but haven't signed an agreement yet you will be stuck with 20 cents per kilowatt hour - which for most will make the installation of solar panels an unappealing and non-viable choice.

A range of news articles have been published on the topic - here are some if you would like to read more.

Slashed feed-in tariff makes solar hot water even more attractive - Government - News - Southern Courier

New South Wales is slashing the gross feed-in tariff for its solar bonus scheme because it is costing too much - Sydney Morning Herald.

Power blame game heats up (TheAustralian Article)

Simple creative fun

We journeyed into Sydney last weekend to catch up at a work reunion... we are lucky enough to have an Auntie and Uncle in the Blue Mountains who looked after the kids while the adults travelled down to Cronulla for a ferry cruise.

I just wanted to share with you the creations the kids created with Uncle A... aren't they wonderful... no wonder the kids always want to visit Uncle A and Auntie C... we have a plane a bus and a racing car.

This of course is following on from our middle child's obsession about collecting things for next years Waste to Art competition run in our council area by Netwaste.  He has been carefully stockpiling all sorts of waste - from lolly wrappers to foil to bottle tops.

Wild spring weather..

I had been really enjoying the onset of warmer spring weather over the last week or so..

The apples are blossuming...

The red currant fruit is setting...

And the fresh greens in the garden are finally starting to grow enough so that we can harvest them for meals..

And then came a few wild days... first came the rain and wind....

 Then the wind and snow...

The snow came late for the wildflowers in one of our local reserves... (Creamy Candlesticks - Stackhousia monogyna) 

Making the most of spring snow with some friends at the Pinnacle Picnic ground on the slopes of Mt Canobolas