❓ Ms Hanns asks about the role of regional WA in the renewable energy transition and how the government supports regional communities to benefit from large-scale renewable energy projects. The Minister outlines the importance of regional communities and the Community Benefits Guidelines.
AnsweredQoN 128Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Renewable energy—Regional investment
128. Ms Jodie Hanns to
the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to diversifying the WA economy so that it remains
the strongest in the nation.
(1) Can the minister advise the house on the role
that regional WA is playing in supporting our state's transformation into a
renewable energy powerhouse?
(2) Can the minister outline to the house how this
government is supporting regional communities to benefit from large-scale
renewable energy projects?
128. Ms Jodie Hanns to
the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to diversifying the WA economy so that it remains
the strongest in the nation.
(1) Can the minister advise the house on the role
that regional WA is playing in supporting our state's transformation into a
renewable energy powerhouse?
(2) Can the minister outline to the house how this
government is supporting regional communities to benefit from large-scale
renewable energy projects?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank
the member for Collie–Preston for the question. The member is at the
heart of the energy transition in not only her household, but the community
she represents. As we know, the energy transition is well underway and grid-scale
wind, solar and battery energy is transforming our grid. It is transforming the
way we feed energy into the system. We know that regional communities are
hosting most of these grid-scale projects. That is where the strong renewable
resources are—in regional communities. We are going to make sure that
regional communities get the lasting benefits of that. It is the regional
communities that are hosting these projects that are ensuring that households
and businesses can get access to cheaper, cleaner energy and drive jobs and
economic growth in the future.
As an aside, in February data
showed that Australia's five best-performing wind farms—the nation's
best-performing wind farms—were all in Western Australia. They are Warradarge
wind farm, Badgingarra wind farm, Yandin wind farm, Flat Rocks wind farm and
Mumbida wind farm. All five are the top-performing projects. These large-scale
projects are going to change the way we connect to households. That is why we
released the Community Benefits Guidelines on renewable energy projects. The
guidelines outline the arrangements for large-scale renewable energy developers
on how to engage with communities fairly and deliver ongoing local benefits. It
will streamline the consultation for those communities and the negotiation
process for everyone. It will provide industry with greater certainty but,
importantly, communities with greater certainty about what they can expect from
hosting some of these large-scale projects. It will balance the benefits in the
local community. Not only is it the community that is hosting these projects,
but neighbouring communities as well. Local governments are important partners—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
The Leader and Deputy Leader of the National Party, I think, you do not get to
ask questions from your seat. The minister is responding to the question.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: We know that local government
will play a central role. We have worked very, very closely with the Western
Australian Local Government Association on the development of these guidelines—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Mid-West, I am calling you for
the second time.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: This is the ninth year of the
opposition. Opposition members have been doing this for nine years today. I
think they were better in their first year. They have managed to go backwards.
It is extraordinary.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Member for Central Wheatbelt and
Leader of the Opposition, I remind you both that you are on three calls.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: Local governments are going
to form the core partners in the development and the administration of the
plans. Regional development commissions will administer the funds. These funds
will be meaningful and long-lasting. Depending on the scale of the project—these
are based on real projects—communities can expect anything from $50,000
a year to $2.5 million per year for the life of that project. That is decades
worth of funding, which clearly the opposition is not supportive of. We know
that regional communities are going to form the centre of our renewable energy
transition. It is this government that is making sure that they are at the
centre of reaping the benefits and that the communities are lifted up and
improved by gaining that benefit and hosting those projects.
The Speaker: No, sorry, that concludes question time.
Members, once again, no; it is finished. There were too many interjections from
across the chamber. It takes too long. We are not wasting time having members
yell out all the time and expecting to get the same treatment. You need to
really stop and reflect on your behaviour in this chamber. It is appalling at
the moment. I do not want to be talking to the journalists in the morning about
this, but I am sure they are going to want to ask me questions. It is not good enough.
The people and the public of Western Australia deserve better than what they
are seeing in here during question time.
Members! If you are
leaving the chamber, leave it quietly.
the member for Collie–Preston for the question. The member is at the
heart of the energy transition in not only her household, but the community
she represents. As we know, the energy transition is well underway and grid-scale
wind, solar and battery energy is transforming our grid. It is transforming the
way we feed energy into the system. We know that regional communities are
hosting most of these grid-scale projects. That is where the strong renewable
resources are—in regional communities. We are going to make sure that
regional communities get the lasting benefits of that. It is the regional
communities that are hosting these projects that are ensuring that households
and businesses can get access to cheaper, cleaner energy and drive jobs and
economic growth in the future.
As an aside, in February data
showed that Australia's five best-performing wind farms—the nation's
best-performing wind farms—were all in Western Australia. They are Warradarge
wind farm, Badgingarra wind farm, Yandin wind farm, Flat Rocks wind farm and
Mumbida wind farm. All five are the top-performing projects. These large-scale
projects are going to change the way we connect to households. That is why we
released the Community Benefits Guidelines on renewable energy projects. The
guidelines outline the arrangements for large-scale renewable energy developers
on how to engage with communities fairly and deliver ongoing local benefits. It
will streamline the consultation for those communities and the negotiation
process for everyone. It will provide industry with greater certainty but,
importantly, communities with greater certainty about what they can expect from
hosting some of these large-scale projects. It will balance the benefits in the
local community. Not only is it the community that is hosting these projects,
but neighbouring communities as well. Local governments are important partners—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
The Leader and Deputy Leader of the National Party, I think, you do not get to
ask questions from your seat. The minister is responding to the question.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: We know that local government
will play a central role. We have worked very, very closely with the Western
Australian Local Government Association on the development of these guidelines—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Mid-West, I am calling you for
the second time.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: This is the ninth year of the
opposition. Opposition members have been doing this for nine years today. I
think they were better in their first year. They have managed to go backwards.
It is extraordinary.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Member for Central Wheatbelt and
Leader of the Opposition, I remind you both that you are on three calls.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: Local governments are going
to form the core partners in the development and the administration of the
plans. Regional development commissions will administer the funds. These funds
will be meaningful and long-lasting. Depending on the scale of the project—these
are based on real projects—communities can expect anything from $50,000
a year to $2.5 million per year for the life of that project. That is decades
worth of funding, which clearly the opposition is not supportive of. We know
that regional communities are going to form the centre of our renewable energy
transition. It is this government that is making sure that they are at the
centre of reaping the benefits and that the communities are lifted up and
improved by gaining that benefit and hosting those projects.
The Speaker: No, sorry, that concludes question time.
Members, once again, no; it is finished. There were too many interjections from
across the chamber. It takes too long. We are not wasting time having members
yell out all the time and expecting to get the same treatment. You need to
really stop and reflect on your behaviour in this chamber. It is appalling at
the moment. I do not want to be talking to the journalists in the morning about
this, but I am sure they are going to want to ask me questions. It is not good enough.
The people and the public of Western Australia deserve better than what they
are seeing in here during question time.
Members! If you are
leaving the chamber, leave it quietly.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.