Power Infrastructure

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:06): My question is to the Minister for Energy. Why does the minister continue to refuse to meet with the Upper Spencer Gulf power consortium, comprising General Electric, the CFMEU and another, who offered to build a new clean coal and biomass power station, with underground transmission lines, from Port Augusta?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (15:06): I am happy to meet with anyone. What I won't do is allow money that has been placed for remediation to be used to fund any upgrade. This power station is not owned by the South Australian government: it is owned by a subsidiary now of Alinta. I understand that, if that consortium wishes to buy it, the regulatory approvals that they seek are not from me: they are from the National Electricity Market. Of course, I am happy to meet with them. I am happy to meet with anyone who wants to invest in South Australia.

I have to say that the idea that Northern would have helped with the issue yesterday has been refuted by almost every single independent expert who looks at the National Electricity Market. I think it is important to know that the idea that, if Northern had been on, this would not have occurred, is wrong. It is not only rejected by the government: it is rejected by AEMO and it is rejected by the independent experts who monitor the National Electricity Market. I think there is no-one of any real authority out there saying that if Northern had been on, first, this event would not have occurred and, secondly, power would have been up faster. There is no-one who is prepared to put their name to that. No-one. Why? There is a simple reason: because it is not true.