Climate Change Strategy

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:20): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement on the new climate strategy for South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: There are certain challenges that have the capacity to bring societies together through a common goal. Climate change is such a challenge. Tackling climate change will allow us to build a strong and prosperous state, a state that is resilient and able to adapt to future climatic and environmental challenges but also a state that is able to harness fully the opportunities offered by transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

Our trading partners and competitors, including China, India, the United States and Europe, have increased their efforts in this transition that is estimated to create some 700,000 jobs in Europe and around five million jobs over the next 10 years in the US. South Australia has acted swiftly and decisively, and as a result we have reduced our carbon pollution by 9 per cent since 1990 while growing our state's economy by 60 per cent.

While South Australia has benefited greatly from beginning this transition early, attracting over $6 billion in investment in renewables and creating thousands of jobs for our state, the projections around the world illustrate just how great this economic potential is. Tackling climate change will require us to work together. Today, with the Premier and minister Koutsantonis, I released a series of consultation papers to encourage the community and business to work with us in developing a new climate change strategy for South Australia.

In addition, we will be seeking expert economic advice from a panel of eminent Australians about the role our state can play in helping prevent the worst impacts of climate change while also growing the economy. The panel comprises Dr John Hewson, Dr Frank Jotzo and Ms Anna Skarbek. We want to engage with industry to help create jobs, drive clean technology innovation and boost the economy. This includes finalising a low-carbon investment plan designed to help attract $10 billion investment in your carbon technologies.

I encourage all South Australians to get involved and provide their thoughts on this new climate change strategy. The consultation paper is available on yoursay.sa.gov.au. Submissions close on 18 October 2015. Climate change is a challenge that we all share, and we are all set to gain enormously by working together in rising to that challenge.