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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-11-20 Daily Xml
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Clean Energy Summit

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:03): I seek leave to make a further ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Last week I made a statement in this place about renewable energy. I spoke of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's proposed cuts to the renewable energy target that will hurt existing clean energy projects, undermine new investment and force up household power prices. I spoke of the importance of this sector to South Australia and of this government's priority in building, from the ground up, a thriving, clean energy sector in this state. Indeed, South Australia's achievements in this area are remarkable.

Earlier this week the Climate Council released its report into renewable energy where it identified that:

South Australia is the most desirable market in Australia for renewable energy investment with around $5.5 billion invested since 2003, with the majority in rural areas. With effective renewable energy policies, South Australia moved from having little renewable energy a decade ago to installing the most renewable energy since 2001 on a total and per capita basis. South Australia leads the country in wind and solar PV.

However, in a policy environment that proposes cuts to the renewable energy target, much of this is at risk.

That is why I announced in this place that I would convene a clean energy summit. I am pleased to inform the house that this summit will be held on 1 December here at Parliament House and will bring together key industry, community and opinion leaders because this issue is about more than emissions. It is about jobs, it is about our future industry, and it is about reducing power prices. It is about supporting local employment, transport companies that haul turbine parts, electricians who install PV panels, and fitters who construct housings. It is about transitioning to advanced manufacturing, developing high skilled high value industries to replace automotive manufacturing following the Abbott government's withdrawal of support for Holden. It is about substituting power that is effectively free to produce into our power grid offsetting higher cost generators.

Beyond our borders international leaders are recognising the need for action on climate change. The recent US-China climate agreement shows two of the world's largest economies are working together to address climate change. Australia is at risk of being left behind and it is South Australia's nation-leading clean energy sector that will pay the price.

This emergency summit will send a clear message to the commonwealth government that bipartisan support for clean energy is integral, not only for our state, but for our nation. We hope that as a result of the summit we will have a clear agreed position from the clean energy sector on the way forward, recognising the importance of the renewable energy target and the impact of the removal of this target, not only to the sector but to all South Australians.

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