Ministerial Statement

TRUSTPOWER

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:21): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement on TrustPower.

Leave granted.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: On Tuesday I was asked the following supplementary question by the Hon. David Ridgway:

Has the minister or any of his colleagues, at fundraising luncheons in relation to SA Progressive Business, met with anybody from a company by the name of TrustPower?

I understand that TrustPower is a New Zealand-based electricity retailer and generator, which sought major project status in 2002 for a proposal to erect 20 wind turbines at Myponga/Sellicks Hill to connect to the national electricity grid. This proposal was declared a major development in August 2002.

Following a thorough consultative and assessment process that included the setting down of guidelines by the independent Development Assessment Commission, the state government approved this proposal in November 2003. After checking through my records, I can confirm I met once with representatives from TrustPower in my office in October 2007, at which time the company gave an update on the progress of the project. The meeting was attended by the business development manager and a director of TrustPower Australia. To the best of my knowledge, I have not met with any representative of TrustPower outside of that October meeting in my office.