Richard Dowling (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note this is not my first speech. My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator Watt. At the last election, the Albanese Labor government renewed its commitment to deliver more cheap, clean and reliable energy to get our grid to 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030. The government also committed to unlock $8 billion of additional investment in renewable energy through a $2 billion expansion of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Recently, in my home state of Tasmania, the government announced the approval of a solar farm in the Midlands, another step on the path to meet our renewable energy target. Can the minister outline the government's record on approving renewable projects? Are there more approvals in the pipeline?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Dowling, for your first in what will no doubt be many very well written questions. Last month, I was pleased to announce the approval of a solar farm in Bothwell, just north of Hobart—in the electorate of the new member for Lyons, the outstanding Rebecca White. The project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 44,000 tons of carbon dioxide per annum, which is equal to more than 450,000 trees being planted. It will also deliver economic benefits to the region, supporting more than 300 direct jobs in both the construction and the ongoing management phases. This was the 88th renewable energy project approved since the Albanese government came to office in 2022. In the four weeks since that announcement, we've approved a further four renewable projects.

Today I am pleased to announce the 93rd. The Summerville Solar Farm will be located in the Richmond Valley, 60 kilometres south-west of Lismore in northern New South Wales. It will generate enough energy to power 36,000 homes. It features 215,000 solar panels and a battery energy storage system with up to four hours of storage capacity. This project is a great example of good design and site selection, leading to fast approval times. In this case, this project was approved within 30 days. A key factor in this is the plan to maintain cattle grazing on the land, demonstrating once again—I know it's hard for the National Party to accept this—that there are ways for renewables and agriculture to work together.

I know senators might be thinking, 'The Richmond Valley near Lismore—which electorate is that in again?' I can inform the Senate it's in the seat of Page, home to the deputy leader of which party? The National Party. While the Nationals and Liberals continue campaigning against renewables and net zero, Labor is delivering the energy, the investment and the jobs that our regions are crying out for.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Dowling, your first supplementary question?

Richard Dowling (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government took its renewable energy commitment to the Australian people at the last election. What other support has the approval of renewable energy projects received?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Dowling. The Albanese government's approval of renewable energy projects and stable energy policy is supported by a wide range of people, like Innes Willox from the Ai Group, who said, 'This approach will help facilitate the deployment of renewable energy and storage technology.' Danielle Wood, from the Productivity Commission, said, 'Given we're relying on the private sector to make investments, having some sense of the rules of the game is really important for business.'

Of course, you don't need to go far in this building to find people who oppose net zero, like Senator Cash, who led the charge on the weekend at the WA Liberal convention to oppose net zero, putting her at odds with the opposition leader, Sussan Ley. Why would the coalition's Senate leader publicly take on her party leader? Yesterday, News Ltd columnist James Campbell offered some views, saying:

Now when a previously somnolent—

Meaning 'sleepy'—

Liberal senator suddenly starts going like Rocket Racer on the elephant juice there's almost invariably a one-word explanation: preselection.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Henderson.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, I did rise a couple of seconds before the end of Senator Watt's contribution to ask if you could, on a direct relevance point of order, draw him back to the question, please.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, he was being directly relevant. Senator Dowling, a second supplementary?

Richard Dowling (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister explain why policy consistency, particularly around environmental approvals, is a key factor in enticing financial investment in our energy transition in the short, medium and long term? Why is a clear, unified and consistent approach important to ensure cheaper and cleaner energy generation will be rolled out, protecting our natural environment for future generations?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Investors across the board want the security of policy certainty, and Australians have said loudly that they support a renewable future. There's only one group, of course, who haven't heard the message, and there they are, looking sullen and sad, over there—and those are the happy ones! Last night in this chamber, we saw what can only be described as an absolute farce from the opposition. Rather than taking a position on one of the major issues our nation is dealing with, the opposition leader, Ms Ley, directed her senators to abstain from a vote on net zero. So, when the country wants leadership and certainty from all their politicians, what do the opposition do? They don't just hide away; they go and hide under the doona. The only person showing leadership on the coalition side is live-TV bull-impersonator Barnaby Joyce, and Senator Canavan has made the point that One Nation last night were just playing catch-up with Barnaby Joyce. It's not just One Nation; it's the entire Liberal Party playing catch-up to Barnaby Joyce— (Time expired)