Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to make a contribution to the member for Indi's excellent motion. I want to pick up a few of the myths peddled by the other side in this debate. To the member for Grey's contribution, every single wind farm built in South Australia was driven by a federal bipartisan policy of the renewable energy target. The federal government's policy—a bipartisan target—delivered almost 50 per cent renewable energy to South Australia in that period. I absolutely agree that more planning is needed, and that was at the heart of the Finkel review. But it would be a complete misnomer and a great disservice to the Australian public to blame the South Australian government for the actions of a federal policy mechanism supported by both sides of politics.

I'm also interested in the member for Grey applauding the investment in pumped hydro by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, an agency this government has tried to abolish twice. It demonstrates the grave hypocrisy of the Liberal-National government. As for the ridiculous contribution from the member for Hughes, who is a serial offender in this context, the government's own stacked inquiry in 2014—the Warburton review, stacked with climate change deniers—found that the renewable energy target actually reduces prices. Let me repeat that: the pressure the renewable energy target exerts to suppress the wholesale energy price is much greater than the cost of the renewable energy certificates. The 23½ per cent RET reduces electricity prices, nothing else.

We are facing an investment strike in this country because of four years of policy paralysis by this government, a government riven by divisions, denial of climate change and denial of basic economic competency. That means the wholesale energy prices across the whole nation have doubled, and there is one way through it: a bipartisan commitment to a clean energy target that will reduce electricity prices by $175 per annum, compared to the business-as-usual case. When those on the other side talk about reducing electricity prices, if they're fair dinkum about it, they need to support a clean energy target and let industry get on with doing what they need to do—invest in new generation—because our power fleet is very old.

Returning to the substance of this excellent motion, it's all about empowering local communities to be masters of their own destiny with regard to energy generation and to make a contribution to fighting climate change, on the one hand, but also to have a level of independence and—quite frankly—to have some security against increasing electricity prices. Whenever I travel around the country as the shadow assistant minister for climate change and energy, I see communities passionate about embracing community renewable energy, something tried and proven overseas. Whether it's in California or Germany, countries and communities are embracing a community ownership of renewable energy—a community-led investment boom.

That's why I was so proud that, at the last election, Labor took a very strong policy to the people on community ownership. We allocated $98 million to a community power network that included funding for 10 community power hubs. We also put aside grants funding for projects such as solar gardens for renters; low-income energy efficiency investment; solar programs using innovative finance like council rates; community wind farms; piloting community solar projects with social housing providers; and rates financing of renewable energy for low-income pensioners. These were all concrete projects that would empower local communities—whether it's the member for Indi's community in regional Victoria, mine in regional New South Wales or the member for Lindsay's in Western Sydney—to invest in renewable energy, to make a contribution to fighting climate change and to make a contribution to reducing electricity prices for local communities, which is so important. That's why this motion is so important. That's why Labor is standing shoulder to shoulder in embracing community renewable energy.

If those on the other side use this as an excuse to attack renewable energy, they'll be doing a great disservice, because the facts are these. The renewable energy target reduces electricity prices, and the best way to reduce future prices is by embracing a clean energy target to stop the investment strike in the wholesale energy market. If those on the other side are serious about reducing electricity prices, they need to endorse a clean energy target right now.

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