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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-29 Daily Xml
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ENERGY RESOURCES

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (15:04): My question is to the Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy. Can the minister detail for the house the government's achievements with respect to energy in South Australia in the last 12 months?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:04): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I will try my best. South Australians demand and deserve reliable and affordable energy. Across much of our country, the rising cost of power is putting increased pressure on household budgets. When members opposite privatised our assets, they denied the people of this state from exacting control over electricity infrastructure.

Despite having no control over our assets, this government makes every effort to craft policy that strengthens consumer protection and encourages people to manage their energy requirements efficiently. In the last 12 months, we have maintained a strong momentum of energy policy development. The successful passage of the National Energy Customer Framework legislation is a significant energy market reform. It provides stronger consumer protections and a simpler regulatory system for the energy industry, thereby strengthening South Australia's access to electricity and gas and creating a more competitive energy market.

In addition, on 2 October 2012, the government also signed an MOU to participate in the national Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards scheme. This scheme largely replaces the existing state-based regulation, establishing national Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and labelling requirements for about 19 categories of energy-using appliances and equipment. As promised, for the member for Norwood, I will include hairdryers in that standard as of next year.

The government has also acted to give households the best opportunity to access their power usage by supplying every electorate office with a home energy toolkit. These toolkits are user-friendly and can involve the whole family and, most importantly, can show people where their big energy usage is coming from and how they can act to create a more efficient home.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: You didn't get one?

Mr Williams: I didn't get one.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I'm sorry, Mitch.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Just so the member for MacKillop is aware, country members were given two kits, and how-to-use kits were offered here in the parliament. I am not sure why you did not turn up, Mitch, but I will find out why you did not turn up, or why your colleagues did not pick them up. I hope members who bothered to turn up to get the toolkits are getting good feedback from their constituents, and I remind members opposite that they are also available from most public libraries.

Also, in the last 12 months, the government has held a strong commitment to energy reform in remote Aboriginal communities. Earlier this year, the Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy recently contributed to the installation of 89 solar hot water systems in Aboriginal community housing at Marree, Coober Pedy and the APY lands. These new systems, installed and co-funded by Housing SA at no cost to residents, will have an ongoing benefit to residents by reducing energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and, importantly, running costs. The government is aware that energy costs are hurting families. Unlike members opposite, who live in a policy vacuum, we will continue to use all the available resources—

Mr GARDNER: Point of order!

The SPEAKER: Order! What is your point of order?

Mr GARDNER: Standing orders 98 and 127—take your pick.

The SPEAKER: It is a very open-ended question, I think.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am just pointing out that you have no policy on energy.

The SPEAKER: Minister, you only have 36 seconds left.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: This government will do everything we can to effectively drop energy prices—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and do all we can to build on efficiency, and one day hopefully the opposition will have a policy on energy.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Schubert, who recently joined the painters and dockers, I believe.

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