Renewable Energy

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Climate Change. Will the minister inform the chamber about the latest research demonstrating the correlation between growth in the renewable energy sector and job creation?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. I have in this place previously spoken many times about the importance of renewable energy from both an environmental and economic point of view.

I am advised that almost a quarter of a trillion dollars each year is invested in renewable energy, a sector that employs almost eight million people globally. Here in South Australia we know that thousands of jobs have been created through the renewable energy sector, many of which are in regional areas of our state. It is fantastic now that we have modelling that shows the potential job creation within the renewable energy and associated sectors for Australia, broken down by jurisdiction. A landmark report by Ernst & Young and the Climate Council finds that building 50 per cent renewables by 2030 will create almost 50 per cent more employment than our current trajectory, or around 28,000 jobs nationally.

This is great news for South Australia especially considering we already generate about 41 per cent of our electricity from renewable energy. We were the first state in Australia, of course, to commit to 50 per cent renewable energy by 2025, and that is five years earlier than the modelling used for the Renewable Energy: Future Jobs and Growth report. Ernst & Young's state-of-the-art modelling finds that every state and the economy as a whole comes out ahead by achieving 50 per cent renewables. It argues what this state government has long argued, that we need a nationwide commitment, a long-term approach to managing renewable energy and infrastructure to create the necessary certainty and growth in the sector.

This will create jobs in the construction, operation and maintenance of renewable energy installations as well as in related industries. Most states will see half of all new jobs created in rooftop solar PV, according to the report, an area where South Australia is already leading the nation. Importantly, many of these jobs will be created in regional Australia and, unlike other industry transitions which have seen many jobs move offshore, a transition to 50 per cent renewables will create jobs in Australia.

Tomorrow I am attending the energisation of the first of the Hornsdale Wind Farm stages near Jamestown. It marks an important step in the regeneration of renewable energy projects after the devastating attacks from the Abbott/Turnbull governments. The project has seen up to 250 construction jobs created and will have 10 ongoing jobs. That is good for the local community. Neoen, the energy company behind the wind farm, has committed to investing $40,000 per year per stage over the project into the local community, and for landowners who are part of the project, they receive an on-farm income that is not dependent on the climate, receiving payments even in times of drought.

The transition from fossil fuels must be planned well. The report estimates that job losses in coal-fired electricity generation are more than compensated for by increased employment in the renewable energy sector. This is good news for South Australia because the report estimates that around 3,600 jobs will be created in our state, meaning that on a per capita basis South Australia is likely to experience the greatest net growth in jobs, around four times the number of jobs per capita compared to, say, Victoria.

We now have modern, independent modelling that confirms that renewables can become the new economic powerhouse for South Australia. We still do not seem to have the one thing that will help us to capitalise on these opportunities however, and that is strong national leadership on fighting global warming and growing the renewable energy sector. As Ms Kirsty Albion, the National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, said in a media statement released on 20 June:

The government is still not telling Australians its renewable energy goal for 2030 and is taking Tony Abbott's low pollution reduction targets to the election.

The Prime Minister has been trying to cover up this lack of ambition by rebranding existing clean energy money.

South Australia is committed to strengthening our economy while at the same time seriously tackling global warming, but we do need strong leadership federally to ensure a future we can all be proud of. We can only hope that the outcome of the election on Saturday, whatever the outcome, that whoever ultimately forms government has heard the people of Australia speak in relation to climate change and renewable energy and will adjust their policies accordingly and move to a bipartisan, long-term commitment to tackling climate change, and the renewable energy sector will prosper.