Government Contracts

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (15:11): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Can the Minister for Energy and Mining confirm that the current EOI released by the Treasurer does not have a mandatory requirement for any hydrogen facility at Port Bonython in the documents?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (15:12): Again, another rehash of a radio interview this morning. You would think that more work could be done between now and then, but if the member is just looking to ask the same question and get the same answer, well, here we go. We definitely do want this land at Port Bonython to be integral to the development of a hydrogen industry in South Australia. We want it to be integral to the development of a hydrogen—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: But it's not in there.

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens!

Mr Malinauskas: Why not put it in there if that's the plan?

The SPEAKER: The leader will cease interjecting. The minister has the call.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: We want this land to be integral to the development of a hydrogen—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister will resume his seat for a moment. The leader is warned for a second time. The minister has the call.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: We want this land to be integral to the development of a hydrogen industry in South Australia—the production of hydrogen, the consumption of hydrogen and the export of hydrogen.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hammond! The minister has the call.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: That desire has been made very clear and very publicly. That is just a fact; everybody knows that. But if those opposite think that it is as simple as just describing exactly the result you want and assuming that internally you know more than everybody else in the universe about how best to develop a hydrogen industry, they are sadly mistaken.

It was actually fascinating to meet with a very important worldwide company yesterday and have representatives of that company say to us, 'How refreshing it is that when your government goes out for a tender it says what the problem is that it wants to have solved. It doesn't actually say, "This is the answer we have already come with and we want you to do it", like the previous government did.' What they did was disadvantage South Australians.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: What those opposite may not understand is that to develop a hydrogen industry you need an enormous number of other organisations, ancillary organisations to service the hydrogen industry. It might well be that it's some other high-tech organisation with a product hardware/software that can support the hydrogen industry. We are not going to rule out that type of an organisation being able to access some of that land, if that's the right way to go. There is a wide range of service industries that support the mining industry. There is a large range of service industries which will support the hydrogen industry.

If those opposite want us to rule in and rule out exactly who can and who can't access this land, they would be sending the state down the same perilous and destructive path that they led the state down when they were in government. We are wide open with regard to how this hydrogen industry can be developed. We are not going to be prescriptive and say, 'Only this type of company or only this purpose or only this use is actually going to be acceptable to us.' We are making it very clear—we have made it very clear—that we want this land to support the development of a hydrogen industry. That is the case—it is as simple as that.

Who knows what the expressions of interest might throw up? Who knows what the tender documents might throw up? But we are determined that we will use this land for the best interests of all South Australians, and the Treasurer and his department and office will run the tender appropriately.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Chaffey, I call to order the member for Hammond. The member for Playford and the member for West Torrens will leave for the remainder of question time in accordance with standing order 137A.

The honourable members for Playford and West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber: