Hon Jim Chown questions the Minister for Agriculture and Food about compensation for pastoral leaseholders affected by land tenure changes enabling renewable hydrogen production. The Minister assures that changes will only occur at the pastoralist's instigation.

AnsweredQoN 22Legislative Council
Asked
4 May 2021
Portfolio
Agriculture and Food

QuestionView source ↗

RENEWABLE HYDROGEN
STRATEGY — PASTORAL STATION LEASEHOLDERS
22. Hon
JIM CHOWN to the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
Regarding the government proposal to
push through changes to land tenure laws, particularly to pastoral stations, with the intention of allowing massive areas for
solar and wind farm use, what remuneration will current leaseholders receive
when these proposed land tenure changes are ratified to allow renewable energy
generation for hydrogen manufacture?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member. I think it is
the first time we have heard the opposition as opposed to the crossbench
actually ask a question about hydrogen, so it is cause for celebration.
Hon Jim Chown : You are
welcome, minister, but please answer the question.
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : I am entitled to give a little bit of a preamble to
give context because I am hoping that in the process you will not become

The PRESIDENT : Order!
Minister, please provide the response.
Hon Jim Chown : Thank you.
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN : I am
certainly pleased to see that the opposition is now greatly supportive of the
renewable hydrogen industry and look forward to seeing that support.
It
is certainly not our intention to impose upon any pastoralist a hydrogen
precinct development. Although Minister Buti and I are at the early stages of discussion of what the excisions from
pastoral lease process may look like, one t hing we are extremely clear
about is that this will occur only should a proponent get together with a pastoralist.
Any pathway towards a hydrogen lease would have to be done at the instigation
of the pastoralists with the underlying lease. I can tell the member that more
than enough people are very interested in that. On Sunday in Kalbarri I met
with Belinda and Calum Carruth from Murchison House station. They were very
eager to see this new twenty-first century industry be developed in conjunction
with their pastoral activities.

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