Hydrogen Power Plant

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question again is to the Premier. Will all elements of the government's flagship hydrogen power plant project at Whyalla be delivered by the end of the year as promised? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: The SA Labor Hydrogen Jobs Plan election policy document stated that Labor will ensure all projects will be operational by the end of 2025.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:07): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question again. As I have been saying in both this forum and also others in recent weeks, the one thing that is absolutely clear and not in dispute is this government's commitment to the people of Whyalla and the surrounds of it in Upper Spencer Gulf.

Currently, within the budget that was handed down by the Treasurer in June last year, there is at least $593 million allocated to a substantial economic infrastructure investment in Whyalla.

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will come to order. You have asked a question. Listen to the Premier as he provides the answer.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I have spoken to one of the key elements of that program, being the electricity generators, which are currently under construction and which we very much look forward to the receipt of in the future. In regard to the other elements of the Hydrogen Jobs Plan, what we have made clear in recent days is that the number one concern of the government, which is consistent with the number one concern of the people of Whyalla—and if those opposite had spent some time on the ground in Whyalla they would know this—is the operation and the ownership and the functioning of the steelworks, which, of course, is so much of what the Hydrogen Jobs Plan is predicated upon. When we developed this policy—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: It's in the policy document—the member for Giles, to his great credit, was a powerful advocate for this facility to be built in Whyalla for the very reason of the opportunity around the decarbonisation of iron production and steel production in the state of South Australia, an opportunity that is no less real today than what was the case four years ago or prior. Hence, it remains true, and there is no change to the fact, that this government is fully committed to the realisation of that opportunity, but it's got to be done in concert with the owner and the operator of the steelworks. Now, what do we know about that?

This government has been at pains to work with Mr Gupta and GFG in the realisation of the transformation of the steelworks. We want to see that transpire and we will do everything we can to ensure that it does, whether it be under the ownership of the steelworks' current owner or any other. We wish Mr Gupta and GFG nothing but success, because we realise the ambitions that he has for that steelworks, which were endorsed by those opposite during the course of their time in government—we all saw the photos and the smiles at the big reveal in 2018. That plan is the right plan for the steelworks, but of course there is a live question that remains to be answered about whether or not GFG has a capacity to do so.

But that should not in any way, in our view, impede the government realising our ambitions and determination to see the transformation of the steelworks and the opportunity that exists out of the decarbonisation of iron production, which is exactly why the one thing that I and everyone on the Treasury benches and everyone on this side of the house wants to see occur more than anything else is to get that money out that door. We want that $593 million allocated and expended on the ground in Whyalla so that we can provide the stimulus and the support that our Whyalla community desperately deserves that is consistently opposed by those opposite.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders will leave the chamber for the rest of question time. You spent the entire four minutes interjecting, and this is such an important matter that I didn't want to interrupt the Premier. The member for Chaffey, the member for Unley and the member for Bragg are all on your final warnings as well.

The honourable member for Flinders having withdrawn from the chamber: