❓ Mr. Redman questions the Minister for Energy about a withdrawn commitment to a biomass plant and solar farm in Collie. The Minister clarifies the nature of the commitment and its continued availability.
AnsweredQoN 593Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BIOMASS PLANT AND SOLAR
FARM — COLLIE
593. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Energy:
I refer the minister to the McGowan
government's latest backflip from a $60 million commitment to fund a biomass
plant and solar farm in Collie.
(1) Why did he
not take the projects to market so see whether there was private sector
interest?
(2) Is he
satisfied that he has done enough to meet his election commitment?
FARM — COLLIE
593. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Energy:
I refer the minister to the McGowan
government's latest backflip from a $60 million commitment to fund a biomass
plant and solar farm in Collie.
(1) Why did he
not take the projects to market so see whether there was private sector
interest?
(2) Is he
satisfied that he has done enough to meet his election commitment?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Firstly,
the decision not to proceed with those projects was made before I was minister.
As the member knows, he asked me about this in estimates and I asked him to put
the question on notice.
Mr D.T. Redman : You didn't
answer the question.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I pointed
out to the member that I did not know the details of the issue he was raising
and told him that he should put the question on notice so that I could provide
him with an answer. For some reason, since May, he has decided not to do that.
He asked the question again today in the exact same form of the question I answered
on that day. Go and look at Hansard . When he puts the question on
notice, as I asked him to do, I will be able to respond to him.
Mr D.T. Redman : I have done
a question on notice and got the response two days ago.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : In respect
—
Mr D.T. Redman : I did put a question
on notice.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : He is now
saying that two days ago, he put the question on notice, so in a month's
time —
Mr D.T. Redman : No; I got
the response two days ago.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Let me
make it clear. We are very satisfied with the way we have approached this
issue. We never made a commitment to these projects. We said there was a capital
subsidy available to these projects. Quite frankly, that is still true. If a proponent
comes forward with these projects, the cash is still available. We have not
walked away from this commitment. The whole problem here is that the member did
not understand the commitment we made. We did not say that Synergy would build
a biomass plant or a solar farm. We said that a capital subsidy was available
if a project comes forward. That continues to be true.
the decision not to proceed with those projects was made before I was minister.
As the member knows, he asked me about this in estimates and I asked him to put
the question on notice.
Mr D.T. Redman : You didn't
answer the question.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I pointed
out to the member that I did not know the details of the issue he was raising
and told him that he should put the question on notice so that I could provide
him with an answer. For some reason, since May, he has decided not to do that.
He asked the question again today in the exact same form of the question I answered
on that day. Go and look at Hansard . When he puts the question on
notice, as I asked him to do, I will be able to respond to him.
Mr D.T. Redman : I have done
a question on notice and got the response two days ago.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : In respect
—
Mr D.T. Redman : I did put a question
on notice.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : He is now
saying that two days ago, he put the question on notice, so in a month's
time —
Mr D.T. Redman : No; I got
the response two days ago.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Let me
make it clear. We are very satisfied with the way we have approached this
issue. We never made a commitment to these projects. We said there was a capital
subsidy available to these projects. Quite frankly, that is still true. If a proponent
comes forward with these projects, the cash is still available. We have not
walked away from this commitment. The whole problem here is that the member did
not understand the commitment we made. We did not say that Synergy would build
a biomass plant or a solar farm. We said that a capital subsidy was available
if a project comes forward. That continues to be true.
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