Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. In August 2023, the government allocated $3 billion to energy transition projects in WA under the Rewiring the Nation program. It was reported earlier this month by the ABC that this money has sat idle for two years, with none of that money allocated to any projects as of yet. Why has the government allowed two years to pass without allocating a single dollar of the $3 billion committed to WA's clean energy transition, despite your stated support for net zero?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're right to say, Senator Payman, that this government, unlike previous governments, does have a commitment to policy certainty and to working with our partners at the state and territory level and with the development community—in generation in particular—to deliver more generation capacity, including in Western Australia. That means a commitment to renewable generation capacity, wind developments—I don't want to trigger some of those opposite—and solar developments, which I visit regularly. You see them in regional Australia. What you see when you see these projects is giant solar projects providing jobs—

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

Senator McKenzie, I could hear you over and above the minister. As I said to you earlier today, if you can't sit quietly and not interject and not be disrespectful, please leave the chamber.

Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, it's been a whole 59 seconds, and the minister hasn't mentioned Western Australia. This is really just a genuine question of wanting to know what's happening, so can you please redirect the minister.

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

Thank you, Senator Payman. The minister is being directly relevant to your question. You started off by indicating the amount of money that the federal government had committed, and the minister is being directly relevant.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was outlining, that policy certainty and that ambition is important. It means development of electricity projects to modernise our electricity system and renewables backed by gas and backed by storage, including in Western Australia. That is vital for new industry. It is vital for blue-collar jobs, including in Western Australia, where there's shared ambition of the Albanese government and the Cook government to make sure that we're driving production in iron production onshore and in critical minerals production onshore. It means that people should, when they're opposing the wind projects, count the cost of getting in the way of these projects in blue-collar jobs, because that's what they are doing.

Now, this funding you've alluded to is, as I understand it—and I'll check the details—allocated and worked through by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and they will be evaluating projects and delivering them consistent with their mandate. (Time expired)

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

Senator Payman, first supplementary?

Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Announcing money is not the same as delivering it. The Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation, which has proposed the Chichester Range Corridor project, does not expect to receive Rewiring the Nation funding until late 2027. What is the government doing to alleviate the red tape that is causing such unacceptable delays?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's broader approach is delivering a modern electricity system. Since May 2022 we've added over 18 gigawatts of renewables, wind and solar, to the grid. That means more jobs and more electricity, and we're going to need more electricity for our industrial ambitions, our Future Made in Australia ambitions and the data centres of the future in Western Australia and everywhere else. That is why we are focused on development and progress, not going backwards. That's why, under the last government, you had four gigawatts going out of the system and only one gigawatt going in, leaving a legacy of despair for industrial projects around the country. We took a look at these issues last week, and the focus on how it is—that we work across government to deliver faster approval times, more progress and bigger projects for— (Time expired)

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

Senator Payman, second supplementary?

Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I love how the minister used the last six seconds to allude to the question and try to answer it! According to the ABC, $3.54 billion has already been allocated to projects in New South Wales and Victoria. Why is WA being left behind, losing out on opportunities for creation of jobs and certainty and training, while the eastern states power ahead?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The way you characterise that, Senator Payman, is completely at odds with the record of investment and, I have to say, with the attitude of the Western Australian government to these questions. They have ambition for Western Australia. They are focused on industrial development and on the development of the electricity system that will be required to facilitate that development. That means more jobs in the outer suburbs and more jobs in regional Western Australia. We will not lose sight of any part of Australia, particularly the industrial regions of Australia that need this development. What we won't be doing is being out there, like the team over there, opposing wind projects, solar projects and transmission projects that are required to deliver for blue-collar jobs. They hate blue-collar jobs over there. We're determined to back them.