Renewable Energy Projects

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (15:27): I want to talk today about the importance of renewable energy projects, both current and anticipated, for regional South Australia. I do so in the context of, I suppose, three things that have happened very recently. One is at a very high level: the United Nations Climate Summit and the gathering of world leaders at that summit. The strong words by the President of the United States indicated that action is urgently needed. The Chinese leader was not there, but a high-powered Chinese delegation did attend and, for the first time, flagged that a timetable will be developed indicating when China will reach a peak for greenhouse gas emissions and that a strategy will be put in place building on what they have already done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That has significant implications for Australia and we need to be very mindful of it.

Here, at the state level, the announcement by the Premier of the 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2025 is a fantastic initiative. Also a good initiative here in this state is the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation (Renewable Energy) Amendment Bill. I am not going to reflect on that bill, given that it is currently before the house, but I want to acknowledge the input from the members for Stuart, Flinders and Hartley during discussion on that bill. I will let some of the political points made by the member for Hartley go through to the keeper, but I will acknowledge something incredibly positive: his indication of strong support for the need to do more in the renewable energy field. I am sure he will join me in being a strong supporter of the 50 per cent target by 2025.

This new target builds on the 33 per cent target that the government set, and it looks like we are going to meet that target this month when the latest figures come out. Of that 33 per cent, and the $5.5 billion worth of investment in renewables in this state that went with it, $2 billion was directed towards regional communities. The large utility scale (mainly wind farms) has happened out in regional South Australia, to the enormous benefit of many communities in regional South Australia.

Not only are we doing the right thing by the environment but we have been supporting jobs in regional South Australia and supporting those farms that have the benefit of their land being used for wind turbines. I would imagine, if you were a farmer, getting some wind turbines on your property would be a little bit like being 'kissed on the arse by a rainbow'—I hope that is not unparliamentary: 'kissed on the rear end by a rainbow'. It is something very positive for those people in a number of farming communities.

Wind has made an enormous contribution and, if the mandatory renewable energy target is retained in its current form, will continue to do so. However, we as a state need to focus more attention on solar, and especially concentrating solar thermal so that we get in at the early stages in this country. I could go on at length about photovoltaics and the 500 megawatts; a lot of that is on rooftops in regional South Australia. In my community of Whyalla, 37 per cent of households now have photovoltaics. As a state, we need to work together in a bipartisan fashion to support renewables in this state.