SELECT COUNCIL ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Minister, what agreements were reached at the recent inaugural Select Council on Climate Change?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:59): I thank the member for this question. Through the Select Council on Climate Change the South Australian government is working with other states and territories to address climate change. Minister Koutsantonis and I are members of the council, which held its first meeting in Canberra on 4 May 2012. The council was chaired by the Hon. Greg Combet, commonwealth Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Energy, environment and climate change ministers attended from the states and territories and from New Zealand, with a representative from the Australian Local Government Association also in attendance.

The council agreed to work together on some key issues to ensure a more consistent, coordinated, efficient and effective approach to climate change. The council agreed that it will work with the cross-jurisdictional task force established following the COAG meeting of 13 April 2012 on how to effectively rationalise climate change programs that are not complementary to a carbon price, are ineffective or impose duplicated reporting requirements. The South Australian government will review its programs to ensure that they are complementary to the carbon price, but also that they encourage voluntary action by the community.

The council also reaffirmed its commitment to work together on the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards scheme. This scheme will result in a new national approach to energy efficiency requirements on appliances and equipment. It will be one of Australia's key abatement measures, with estimated savings of 20.3 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The scheme is projected to return national net benefits of $22.44 billion from 2009 through to 2024.

The council also agreed to develop work plans for collaborative action on climate change adaption in seven national priority areas: water resources, coasts, infrastructure, natural ecosystems, agriculture, emergency management and vulnerable communities. A planned national approach to these issues, which encourages collaboration between jurisdictions and different levels of government, will help to build the resilience of South Australians. It will also build on the work that South Australia is already doing.

The council has a full agenda to work through over the next 10 months, but I look forward to working with minister Koutsantonis and my commonwealth, state and territory colleagues on these very important matters.