In the next few weeks, the Turnbull government could hand over $1 billion of public money to prop up Adani’s giant polluting megamine.
ACF supporter Sharon France thinks this is an outrageous use of public money, so she's come up with the Australian People's Bank of Better Ideas.
Sharon recalls, "I literally woke up one morning thinking, 'If everyone could spend $1 billion on something beneficial, what would they fund? Certainly not a loan to a billionaire for a coal mine.'"
We’re helping Sharon gather ideas for better ways to use $1 billion of public money.
When all your ideas are in, Sharon will send a report highlighting the most popular and creative suggestions to our Prime Minister.
Australians don't want their public money used to prop up Adani's giant coalmine. Our elected representatives have the choice to invest in public good, not private greed.
So what are your ideas for better ways to use $1 billion of public funds?
To get more involved in Sharon's creative action, download the Better Ideas for a Billion Dollars action pack or visit her blog post to learn more.
Latest Supporters
Education, health, looking after the most vulnerable in society. Infrastructure that is nation building
Give all pensioners a $50 pay rise!
Build sustainable, pleasant and affordable housing (with solar panels and battery storage, for those (many!) who can’t afford to rent or buy on the current market.
Definitely fund more renewable energy, and train workers from fossil fuel industries to work on these projects.
Fund education for all and increase the salaries of teachers.
Put it into the existing mines that are struggling. Why bring another into the mix
printed solar panels are in the final stage of testing and by the end of this year should be ready for commercial application. $1 billion could be used to create jobs in the production and installation of these panels throughout Australia, at the same drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Any money left over could go to the cleaning up and re-afforestation of areas damaged through coal and gas.
Invest in renewable energy with battery storage.
Public housing for the homeless
More regional schools and hospitals , better health care for all , better aged care facility’s . The benefits from such would be payed back for generations . Create regional business infrastructure such as produce and fruit cannery’s
A better use of $1 billion would be to properly fund renewable energy. Fossil fuels have had their day and we are living with the frightening consequences. In order to have a bright future, indeed ANY future, we must focus on renewable sources of energy. Unless you politicians have a Planet B in mind?
High speed rail. Light rail in Perth. More assistance for young people with housing. Helping the homeless. Research in our Universities. Our health system. Education. So many more worthy causes
Build more affordable homes and get people retrained and back into the workforce in sustainable jobs
Education Health jobs homeless inviroment
Money should be used for hospitals
There are huge discrepancies in health care once you move outside the major cities. How do I know – I work at the sharp end. Many rural patients do not get the same health care that citizens in the city can expect.
We are falling way behind the rest of the world in education. We need a more progressive look at the provision of education particularly now to high school pupils. I would like to see all private schools abolished. All citizens should have equal access to education. This has been done in other countries with great success.
Annette Spendlove: I suggest using 1 billion dollars to support the use of solar panels on the roof (which most Aussies support, given their purchases) combined with suitable battery storage, to create local networks. ( A street/ a suburb/ a small town). Given that most small industries work during the day, these could be given subsidies to put panels on the roof to run their day time businesses. 24/7 businesses to install panels and batteries. All new houses to come complete with solar panels and batteries to be energy neutral, the cost to be part of the construction costs (similar to electrical costs/ plumbing costs.) It is much cheaper to install solar panels in the construction phase than later.
Don’t waste my and other taxpayers’ money on big donations to billionaires and politicians! Spend the billion dollars on environmental repair, renewable energies, scientific research, community building and the legal changes required to prevent any donations to political parties. Little will improve while our “leaders” are vulnerable to financial manipulations.
How about instead of funding more greenhouse gases you put that money behind the fight against climate change, like more support for renewables uptake and global aid to break free of dependence on fossil fuels.
Keep Medicare intact. Free health care for all!
Renewables! It’s a No brainer
Rehabilitate Native forests and wetlands. maintaining ecologically biodiversity with emphasis on scientific research for greater understanding.
Radically escalate Australia’s transition to “safe” renewable energy.