Office of Hydrogen Power

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): My question is to the Premier. What has been the total expenditure of the Office of Hydrogen Power since it was established in 2022 and what has it delivered?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:35): I have to say that these are published regularly in the budget papers and members opposite know what we have spent and they are asking questions—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you sir. The opposition know that we publish these figures each and every year. They know exactly what it is that the Office of Hydrogen Power SA has spent. In fact—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: You want to know how much they spent today? The Treasurer will be handing down his budget and we will have estimates. I have to say that the money they have spent has been well spent. They are a good agency, they do exceptional work and as the Premier said, the work that they have done has helped push forward the needle on hydrogen and we are very, very impressed with the work that Sam Crafter and his team have done.

They have attempted to procure something that has not been procured anywhere else in Australia. Much like, again, the big battery, when we did that procurement, which again was led by Sam Crafter when he was working in my agency in the previous government, that procurement, again ridiculed by members opposite, is the template now not only in Australia but globally.

The other aspect I want to talk about that Sam Crafter and his team have done is pushing the envelope, again, on the applications of hydrogen here in South Australia. It's not just about decarbonising iron and steel for green iron and green steel, it's also about making sure that we can have things like sustainable aviation fuel and, of course, looking at other applications for hydrogen as we are seeing now in Tonsley, which the shadow minister for energy and mining talks at length about.

A great addition under a previous Labor government to get hydrogen being blended into the gas network to be able to use. Again, criticised by members opposite. When they are in government they think it's fantastic, when they are out they criticise hydrogen again. In the absence of policy, you oppose everything. In the absence of a view or something to believe in, you oppose everything. Yes, the Hydrogen Jobs Plan has been delayed.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, it has been delayed.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley can leave the chamber until the end of question time.

The honourable member for Unley having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: A few hours ago, when the Premier announced publicly that the Hydrogen Jobs Plan would be deferred in lieu of the Steel Taskforce and the work that will be done, I wish to say to all those whose hydrogen ambitions have been their concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.