Renewable Energy Target

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (15:17): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, representing the Premier, on the matter of climate change.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: The minister has just tabled today a ministerial statement made by the Premier on the subject of South Australia's targets for renewable energy, and we note in that statement that the target for the production of renewable energy in South Australia has been increased to 50 per cent by the year 2025 and that there is a target of $10 million worth of investment, both targets being conditional on the commonwealth government retaining its renewable energy target. My questions of the minister are:

1. How much state money is involved in the meeting of these targets, or is it more correct to say that all of the funds will be private sector funds?

2. Under section 5 of the Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007, the government can change the targets, as it has just done, but the act requires the minister to prepare and report on the matter and to table that report before both houses of parliament. My question is: when might we see that report?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his ongoing interest in climate change. I will take those questions to the member in the other place and bring back a response. Just to remind our honourable members, the Hon. Ian Hunter is in fact representing South Australia at the climate change conference in New York right as we speak. We take these matters seriously and feel that it is important that we have representation there.

As honourable members know, we set a target for the state to achieve 33 per cent of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2020, and the figures from 2013-14 indicate that 31.5 per cent of energy produced in South Australia is currently from renewable sources. Updated numbers from the energy market operator are expected this month to show that we are well ahead of that. That is what we are anticipating, anyway.

As the Premier indicated today in his ministerial statement, we are not satisfied with simply resting on our past achievements and past glories. We are committed to continuing to provide real leadership in this area. That is why the Premier has announced today that we are increasing our target for the amount of our state's energy that is generated from renewable energies. It is now the goal of this government that we achieve 50 per cent of total energy to be generated by renewable sources by 2025, provided the federal renewable energy target remains in its current form. The Premier was very pleased to announce that commitment today.