Question Time

Energy Security Target

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:15): My question is to the Minister for Regional Development. Does the Minister for Regional Development support the introduction by the state government of a state-based energy security target?

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss, I call him to order for that quite unnecessary outburst because he must know that any minister can answer a question asked in question time.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:16): Given, Mr Speaker, that the energy security target is well and truly within the purview of the Minister for Energy, it's appropriate that I indeed answer it. Yes, the state government believes that the energy security target is a very important part of Our Energy Plan. In fact, it is a very important part of our plan. I do note that Our Energy Plan is being debated daily. Our Energy Plan is out there, there are six vital key elements to it, and those elements are being rolled out—

Ms Sanderson: You keep changing it.

The SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide is called to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —across the coming months and years. You have seen the introduction of our temporary and permanent solutions for our temporary generation to maintain system security. You have seen the battery and the renewable technology fund being implemented with the investment of Neoen and Tesla. We have gone out to the market to try to procure a new competitor into the South Australian market to offer their services. PACE Gas is doing a good job incentivising more exploration wells and more gas being produced, especially in our first ever region where we went looking for oil and gas, the Otway Basin. Of course, an essential part of it is a mechanism to incentivise new investment through the energy security target—a key and vital point of Our Energy Plan.

I read today a Liberal Party press release saying that they have released submissions that were publicly available on a website that were written about in The Advertiser, I think, four or five days ago. Apparently, they have released it after it was published in The Advertiser and already on the website. Yes, the government believes that the energy security target is the right thing to do by South Australians.

It is the right thing to do by our energy system, and I do believe that the energy security target will incentivise more generation, producing more electrons here in South Australia, making more electricity production made available here rather than reliant on imports from Victoria. We are retaking our economic sovereignty by making sure that we can produce as much electricity as possible. So, yes, the cabinet is united on this.