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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-20 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Battery Value Chain

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Energy and Mining. Does the government's energy policy provide any opportunities in the battery value chain?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:36): Thank you very much to the member for Finniss for this question. Yes, it does, member for Finniss. It provides some fantastic opportunities, and for those who have been listening to the Premier consistently talk about new job opportunities, consistently talk about moving into the future, consistently talking about creating a better future for all South Australians, the battery value chain is very much part of that.

We all know that on this side of the house we are going to harness our renewable energy with storage—large and small-scale storage—but we are not satisfied to stop there. We will deliver more affordable, more reliable, environmentally responsible electricity, but we want to create other economic benefits for South Australia as well. The value chain for batteries essentially incorporates exploration and mining, processing of minerals, processing key components, cell manufacturing, assembly, sales and service, and recycling.

We want South Australians to have the opportunity to participate in every one of those along the way. We will look into this issue very thoroughly to make sure that no opportunities are missed. We are already very much involved in the mining side of these products with regard to graphite, cobalt, nickel, iron and copper, but we are not going to stop there. We are going to try to harness not only the extra batteries which we will have installed in South Australia but also some broader international trends. Internationally, the electronic vehicle market is expected to grow very steadily—9.2 per cent by 2025—so huge demand for batteries there. The international battery market has entered a period of enormous growth with 10 to 25 per cent compounding year on year forecast through the 2020s.

We want to make sure that we get onto this wave and find every opportunity possible. It is a hallmark of the Marshall Liberal government to be looking for these opportunities, not just throwing out media releases, not just throwing out policies and maybe implementing them or maybe not, not just looking after sectors of the community. We are looking to look after every part of the community by delivering cheaper batteries, cheaper electricity and more jobs.

We have the raw materials. We want to look at the extra processing, we want to look at assembly, potentially manufacturing as well, and we are looking at all parts of the state to do this. This is work that is done in other nations already. We want to make sure that South Australia gets the opportunity to do it here. Why should we miss out in South Australia on the opportunities that work all the way through this value chain? Batteries to harness renewable energy and to deliver other services, like transport in renewable ways for electronic vehicles and others, are going to be part of the future.

We need to get onto that future and get all the opportunities we possibly can. We want to deliver these green outcomes, we want to deliver cheaper electricity for the people of South Australia and we are determined to find every way possible to do it. Mr Speaker, you know that I generally like to choose my own words when I speak in this place—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: I do, but on this occasion, Leader of the Opposition, I would like to share a quote with the chamber that was passed to me. I can't help myself, because it so aptly describes where we are at the moment: 'We're starting to see rays of sunshine in the dark skies left by [the failed energy policy of the former] Labor [government].' I thought that was a fantastic quote. It describes exactly what is happening—brighter skies. It is a fantastic quote and that is where we are going.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, who will be heard in silence.

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