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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-30 Daily Xml
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Hydrogen Power Plant

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): My question is again to the Premier. Will the government's hydrogen power plant lower power bills for South Australian households and families and, if so, how and when? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: In June last year, the Premier said in reference to Labor's hydrogen policy that, and I quote, 'one of the explicit objectives of that policy is to drive down electricity prices in South Australia', but, interestingly, last week the Minister for Energy and Mining said, 'We never said it would lower residential prices.'

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:39): I thank the Leader of the Opposition—

Mr Tarzia: Went to the private sector for that one, didn't you?

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley is warned for a final time.

Mr Brown: He's upset, sir. He's hungry for the job.

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Florey! The member for Newland will not gesture to the chamber.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Elizabeth!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: I again thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question because it's on a topic that this state government is wholeheartedly committed to and invested in, and that is the growth of the hydrogen sector in the state of South Australia. We believe in the decarbonisation of industry and the opportunity it affords our state's economy and the people of our state through more jobs. That is a policy that we are actively pursuing.

There are a range of benefits that the state government believes can be achieved through our Hydrogen Jobs Plan—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —a $590 million investment in what will be the world's largest hydrogen electrolyser and power plant: a 250 megawatt electrolyser and a 200 megawatt power plant. We are currently out in the market, actively engaged with global companies of global reach and significance who are participating in that process. The government is making a range of decisions on an iterative basis to see to our realisation of construction starting on that program in the next 12 months, with a view to being completed by the next election. Those opposite, from the get-go have sought to undermine a serious plan—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Taylor!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —in regard to an investment in hydrogen.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Just as they have opposed—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is warned.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —renewables, just as they have opposed the big battery, now they oppose the Hydrogen Jobs Plan. It creates a clear demarcation—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Frome!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: It creates a clear demarcation—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta! Member for Hammond!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —in South Australian politics: there are those who are opposed to renewables and progress and those who are in favour of it, those who want to make it happen.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, there is a point of order from the member for Morialta, which I will hear under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: debate. The question was whether the hydrogen power plant will bring bills down.

The SPEAKER: I have the question in hand. I will bring the Premier back to the substance of the question.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: We believe on this side of the house that, apart from those whose only contribution to energy in South Australia is privatisation on top of privatisation—in fact, they were only at it two years ago—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morphett!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: —when they were selling off the backup generators—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call. Member for Hammond, order! Order, member for Florey! The member for Morphett is particularly energetic today and is warned for a final time. The member for Hammond joins him on a final warning. The member for Florey is on two warnings. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: As distinct from policies of government past, on this side of the house we are happy for state government to have an activist role to play in trying to have a positive outcome on the performance of the electricity market in the state of South Australia. We have demonstrated that can be done positively, including on price, through investments like the big battery. We believe the Hydrogen Jobs Plan will also have a positive impact on the market, and it will do so in such a way by providing a firming technology that is green energy based to existing renewables that will only unlock more investment.

We have always been consistent, on the public record and otherwise, that we believe this will have a positive impact on the wholesale price of electricity. But I have also been consistent that that is not the principally stated objective of the Hydrogen Jobs Plan. I made that so clear that I said it in the lead-up to the election at a function hosted by SACOME that was recorded by a participant, then leaked to the Liberal Party, which is politics, and then it made its way to the public realm.

The criticism was being made by those opposite that we were actually on the record making it clear that the priority for us is growing renewable energy in our state, expanding the opportunity of hydrogen, rather than exclusively being another empty promise like the one from those opposite they made at the election before last, where they said they were going to reduce power prices by a certain amount and a promise that wasn't honoured in full. We have very clear objectives in the Hydrogen Jobs Plan. They have been out there on the public record from the get-go, and we are going to continue to pursue our policy as we committed to at the election.

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