Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Gas Infrastructure) Amendment Bill

Introduction and First Reading

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (16:40): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. Read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (16:41): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Mr President, you will be relieved to know that this is the last bill I intend to move today—not in my eight-year parliamentary term, there are many more good ideas to come, but this is the last bill that I am putting forward today. This will not be a surprise to continuing members of this chamber; indeed, this is a bill that has been pursued many times by the Greens. My predecessor, Mark Parnell, first moved very similar legislation back in 2018 and I introduced this again into the previous parliament.

One thing that really surprised me when I came into this parliament was to learn that in South Australia we have a regime that allows developers to choose the energy provider for someone purchasing a new property. In other words, whilst we do not have mandated gas connection in South Australia the decision around whether a new property is connected to gas or electricity is made by the developer, not the individual consumer, when someone is purchasing a new build, and that is really problematic.

We have talked a lot today about the growing economic crisis, the cost-of-living crisis in our state, and we know that gas is a lot more costly than other electricity options on the market. It is also far worse for the environment. Gas has a terrible impact in terms of our environment and for us in the Greens gas really is the new coal. What this bill is doing is giving that decision to the consumer and allowing consumers to make clean, green choices.

Just to give you a sense of what is at stake here, according to the Gratton Institute running a new Adelaide house on all electricity rather than gas would save up to $2,183 over 10 years and up to $5,556 over 10 years if they made the switch from gas cooking, hot water and space heating. The practice of property developers mandating gas connection and gas use in new homes really locks South Australians into higher energy prices and higher carbon emissions. That is a cycle that the Greens are seeking to break.

When I introduced this bill into the last parliament I was delighted to see it had such widespread support in this chamber and so with that in mind I intend to bring it to a vote sooner rather than later. I plan to do so when parliament next resumes. With that, I conclude my remarks.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.