He also said the carbon price would dominate political debate in the next 12 months, particularly in the lead-up to the state election.

"People are taking all sorts of individual action but the government is letting them down collectively," Mr Barber said.

He was speaking at today's Ballarat rally as part of the National Day of Climate Action.

Mr Barber said the state government controlled the electricity and transport systems, along with building and planning codes, that set many energy performance standards.

He said rental housing did not have the same energy standard regulations as newly built houses.

"We will pressing these issues pretty hard in the run-up to the state election.

"The state government has the tools in its hand to make big cuts to greenhouse gases."

Rally organisers Jane Marriott and Steph Hodgins-May said they expected a few hundred people to turn up at Lake Wendouree's View Point.

"We wanted to do a local one because it's not just the big cities but lots of people in smaller areas affected by climate change as well," Ms Marriott said.

An effigy of Tony Abbott also dipped his toe into five per cent of Lake Wendouree to symbolise the federal government's policy of reducing greenhouse emissions by five per cent by 2020.

In a "press release" issued to the media, Tony "Effigy" Abbott said: "With regrets I have had to decline your very kind invitation to "Go Jump in the Lake" - your lovely Lake Wendouree...I have been advised it is illegal to do so.

"You will be well aware of my position on illegals and I can in no way be seen to endorse such illegal action.

"There will be no questions and my next briefing will be in a week's time."