IT IS back to business as usual at Clean Brite Dry Cleaners at Mortdale, amid cheers the dreaded carbon tax has gone.
Owner Chen Zeng found that becoming a clean-and-green dry cleaner was good for business.
He had a lot of customers who appreciated the fact their clothes were no longer treated with toxic and smelly solvents.
But with the carbon tax increasing his electricity bill, he soon discovered that the clean-green aspect of his business was also killing it.
"It takes 30 minutes to finish a cycle — longer than in the old way — but it also takes a lot more electricity," Mr Zeng said.
"I couldn't put up the prices and I can't stop the landlord putting up the rent.
So Mr Zeng did the next best thing — he cut down his working hours.
Rather than working from 7.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, he shut shop at 2pm.
Unhappy with the state of his business and his $1800 monthly electricity bill — up from $1400 — Mr Zeng gave Banks MP David Coleman an earful the next time he came visiting.
"I told David that the carbon tax was killing small business and killing dry cleaning," Mr Zeng said.
Mr Coleman, who makes a point of chatting to people in his electorate, raised Clean Brite Dry Cleaners as an example of the effects of the carbon tax on small businesses when asking Environment Minister Greg Hunt a question in Parliament in December.
The law that put a price on greenhouse gas emissions was repealed on July 17, after almost a decade of heated political debate and the fall of three prime ministers.
"In its two-year lifespan, the carbon tax cost the Australian economy $15.4 billion," Mr Coleman said.
"And it has had a bad effect locally too. Small businesses have been hit hard by the carbon tax. Clean Brite Dry Cleaners was particularly badly affected."
Mr Zeng couldn't be more pleased that the tax is gone.
"I am very happy. I can now save some money," he said.
Mr Coleman estimates Mr Zeng should save at least $2000 a year, starting from July 1.
Despite his elation that the tax has gone, Mr Zeng believes that man-made climate change is a reality.
And he has first-hand experience of China's industrial pollution.
Mr Cheng said governments should do something about it.
ANOTHER VIEW
Philippa Clark, the Greens candidate for Oatley has a different perspective.
‘‘It’s easy to scapegoat the carbon price for high electricity price rise but it has been shown it only added a small amount to NSW electricity price rises, compared to an increase of 45 per cent due to ‘poles and wires’ maintenance,’’ she said.
‘‘Anyone expecting big falls in electricity prices due to the carbon price repeal is in for a shock, especially with the sell-off of the NSW electricity network in the wings.
‘‘The Greens will be fighting privatisation in NSW and will be pushing the federal government to replace the carbon price, which cut emissions by 17 million tonnes, with a scheme as least as effective.’’
What's the next chapter in the climate change story?
