Energy Prices

Ms HABIB (Elder) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Will the minister update the house on new energy projects in South Australia and how they will help reduce energy prices?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:23): Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you very much to the member for Elder. This is actually the fourth time that one of my newly elected colleagues in this place has asked a question about energy and energy prices and cost of living. It is a fantastic question. It is a very important question and interesting to note that, in over 100 questions from the opposition, they have not asked about electricity or cost of living once.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: That is how little they care—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —about the people they are elected to represent.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, I realise the member's obsession with me, but the question was from the member for Elder, and I would ask him to return to the substance of the question.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully, but, in the minister's defence, there is a wall of noise through members on my left, and my right. All members will remain silent while the minister addresses the substance of the question. Please continue, minister.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I say again: the very important question—much better than the former attorney-general asking for advice about how to put in an FOI.

Now, Mr Speaker, you have heard in all of the answers to all of the questions how we will deliver on our election promises. Before the last election, under the former government for 16 years cost of living rose up and up and up. People could not sustain their households and their lives in many cases. Businesses could not sustain their employees in many cases, and we are going to change that. We are going to change that. From the smallest household through to the largest employer, they will benefit from more affordable and more reliable electricity under this government.

Some of the ways that we are going to deal with this, specifically with regard to the question from the member for Elder, is with new projects that in themselves will deliver employment during the construction and delivery phase, but also will deliver more employment as they contribute to lower electricity prices after they are up and running.

There is the SolarReserve project at Port Augusta, the solar thermal project with SolarReserve as its proponent, which, as everybody in this house would know, our side of politics has supported for many years. In fact, I thanked the member for West Torrens several years ago for agreeing on behalf of the government to my proposal that this house deliver a select committee to look into exactly this. This project is moving forward, so much so that they have actually put in a request for extra photovoltaic as part of their project. In fact, it is an extra 70 megawatts of PV to supplement the project that they had already sought approval for.

The Goat Hill pumped hydro project has been given authority to proceed under the Marshall Liberal government—a very positive renewable energy project that will deliver storage, the much-needed grid-scale storage, which members opposite just completely forgot about and completely denied. Our government gave permission for this project to proceed. The Bungala Solar Farm has started generating electricity very recently.

Our government is pursuing these significant projects. We are enabling them to happen, come online and expand because we will deliver more affordable and more reliable electricity for the people of South Australia in many, many ways. That will deliver upon our highest priority, which is to increase employment across South Australia so that our young people do not need to leave the state to seek employment in other places. They can stay here with a wide range of employment opportunities, whether it be through the Minister for Industry and Skills' 20,800 trainees and apprenticeships or with any other employer in the state.

Mr Hughes interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Giles is called to order. The leader.