Question Time

Hydrogen Power Plant

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): My question is to the Premier. Will the government deliver its hydrogen power plant at Whyalla as promised? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: The South Australian Labor Hydrogen Jobs Plan election policy document states, 'A Malinauskas government will build one of the world's largest hydrogen power stations.'

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:03): It was a great opportunity last week for me to be on the ground in Whyalla, and I took the opportunity, along with the member for Giles, to be out talking to members of the community. We met with people who work at the steelworks, we met with contractors who supply the steelworks, we met with local government representatives and we meet with various community organisations. I also had the opportunity to bear witness to the work that is already happening in Whyalla regarding the power plant to which the Leader of the Opposition refers.

One of the key components of the policy that we took to the last election was an investment in generation facilities to generate electricity. I am very pleased to report, as I think I have on more than one occasion in this place, that the generators that deliver the electricity production itself are currently under construction by General Electric. They are generators that have the capacity to be fuelled by two gases: both natural gas and also hydrogen. That was the policy. It always has been.

They are under construction in Ohio. We expect them to be delivered to the government of South Australia in the not too distant future and the location of that work, there are already civil works in place adjacent to Whyalla at the site, and that part of the program that the Leader of the Opposition asks about is well and truly in train. We see this as being important for a few reasons, including to add additional generation capacity to the state. Critically, that facility is going to be owned by the people of South Australia, generating electricity, supplying electricity into the energy market in the interests of South Australia.

Of course, in our view this is a very good example of a point of policy distinction—I don't say that as a criticism; points of difference in politics are natural and not necessarily unhealthy—and everybody in South Australia should know that this is a government investing in state-owned generation of electricity in South Australia. Our only hope, of course—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left will come to order.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Our only hope is that that policy is able to be sustained because we know that every time there is a change of government in South Australia, the first thing that a Liberal government does is sell off electricity assets. In the last two iterations—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett is on his final warning.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I don't know why there is consternation from those opposite. These aren't contested facts. The last two iterations of Liberal governments in the state of South Australia, both of them have sold off state-owned electricity assets. In both instances, it is the view of those of us on this side of the house that the selling off of state-owned electricity assets has diminished the capacity for the government of the day to have a positive influence in the electricity market. So, yet again, this Labor government is investing in state-owned electricity assets. We have a contract with GE to acquire turbines. That is in place and we look forward to the delivery in the not too distant future.