Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021. This bill is part of a package of three bills including the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Bill 2021 and the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure (Regulatory Levies) Bill 2021, which were introduced in the House on 2 September. Together these bills establish a regulatory framework to enable offshore electricity infrastructure projects, principally offshore wind, including transmission generation projects in Commonwealth waters. The Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Bill 2021, the main bill, establishes a regulatory framework to enable the development of offshore electricity infrastructure. The proposed framework covers all phases of development, from construction through to decommissioning, of generation and transmission projects.

This is an important bill. As speakers have indicated, the offshore wind industry is sweeping the world, and it's only right, and indeed necessary, that we see offshore wind projects off Australia's coastline—some 60,000 kilometres of coastline blessed with windy conditions. A portion of that coastline is in my electorate of Barker. It wasn't a surprise to me that I received a phone call in mid-August this year from representatives of Australis Energy, the wholly owned subsidiary of Australis Energy, which is registered in England and Wales, who are currently looking at an offshore wind project off the coast of Kingston South East—that is Kingston in the south-east, not Kingston in the Murray, both of which are in the electorate of Barker. This particular project, it is understood, will have the generation capacity of 600 megawatts, or enough to power 400,000 South Australian homes, and create up to 100 permanent high-quality jobs across its lifespan. All of this sounds excellent: 100 jobs, powering 400 South Australian homes.

But, of course, what this legislation does is say to proponents of projects like this one that we as a nation are going to establish a regulatory framework to ensure that (a) the application, the proposal and the project take place in a way that meets the necessary environmental and other approvals; and (b) in the event that ultimately the project requires decommissioning at end of life, that is undertaken, again, in a way that's environmentally sensitive and in accordance with important regulations. And, of course, the legislation provides a framework in the event that the proponents, either during the construction phase, during the operation stage or even at the point of decommissioning, are not in a financial position to meet the commitments associated with decommissioning or making good that project. That's why I regard this legislation as particularly important. We don't want a situation where we have a host of stranded assets which are subject to seasonal conditions out at sea—which we all know to be particularly caustic—without there being, if you like, the kind of backup required in the event of insolvency or other maladventure.

I have sought to engage the local community. I've spoken to the Mayor of Kingston District Council, Kay Rasheed. She is yet to be provided with a detailed brief in relation to this project. It was announced on 24 August this year. It is now more than two months since that date, and the local community hasn't been actively engaged. I've just come off a call to the executive officer of the South Eastern Professional Fisherman's Association. For the benefit of the House, Kingston is where you'll find the Big Lobster, so it might not be a surprise to those in the House to know that there is a significant southern rock lobster fishery at Kingston. The comment I received was that it would be nice to be engaged. I take it from that that Australis Energy hasn't reached out to the local professional fishermen's association at this stage. I say all of this from the perspective that I, Her Worship the mayor and representatives of the local rock-lobster-fishing industry sound supportive of this project, and no doubt are. But I encourage Australis Energy to reach out to community leaders and provide further detail in relation to this project. Even the information I've been given, outside of what I can obtain publicly on their website, can be best described as brief.

It's important that the community be engaged, because the community needs to be involved. I understand the application has been made to the South Australian government, and all of that is fine and dandy, but local communities need to be part of these decisions, and I encourage Australis Energy: engage the local community, including the local rock lobster fishermen, and take them on this journey with you. My experience in this place over eight years, in dealing with projects like this—not least the Beach Energy project in the south-east of South Australia, which sought permission to hydraulically fracture and mine for gas in the south-east—is that they have met with significant opposition, for many reasons, one of which may well have been the failure to positively engage the local community.

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