❓ The Premier outlines how the Rewiring the Nation deal will secure affordable renewable energy and create jobs in regional WA, highlighting the $3 billion investment in upgrading electricity grids and supporting renewable energy projects.
AnsweredQoN 547Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DECARBONISATION — REWIRING THE NATION
547. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Premier:
Before
I ask my question, I acknowledge on behalf of the member for Joondalup the
student leaders from Poseidon Primary School who are in the gallery
today.
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
sensible plans to decarbonise WA industries while also creating new clean
energy projects and jobs.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how the landmark Rewiring the Nation deal signed
with the commonwealth this week will secure affordable renewable energy across Western
Australia?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house what this deal will mean for jobs and workers in
communities across regional WA?
547. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Premier:
Before
I ask my question, I acknowledge on behalf of the member for Joondalup the
student leaders from Poseidon Primary School who are in the gallery
today.
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
sensible plans to decarbonise WA industries while also creating new clean
energy projects and jobs.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how the landmark Rewiring the Nation deal signed
with the commonwealth this week will secure affordable renewable energy across Western
Australia?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house what this deal will mean for jobs and workers in
communities across regional WA?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I am delighted to answer the question from the
member for Mirrabooka. It is a great question. Minister Johnston is
having a red-letter day. Not only has he flexed his debating muscles already,
but he is also in a position to celebrate having attracted almost $3 billion of
funding from the commonwealth to continue to ensure that we embark on a statewide
epic mission of decarbonising our electricity grids.
As
part of the Rewiring the Nation plan, this $3 billion deal with federal funding
is the biggest in Australia. The major upgrades to the south west
interconnected system and the north west interconnected system will allow
electricity grids to modernise and expand; deliver secure energy for
generations to come; and, critically, allow our state to truly harness the
power of renewable energy. Our existing grids were put in place at a time when
renewable energy was part of science fiction or, as the Prime Minister said
this morning in his announcement, at a time when the only solar power that was
used was to make our pocket calculators
work. This package will bring our network into the next century. It is the
automotive e quivalent of trading in a dusty old Datsun for a brand new
Tesla.
It
was a privilege to be with the Prime Minister this morning—a Prime
Minister who gets Western Australia. He is a Prime Minister who is like
no other in living memory as he really understands the importance of Western Australia
to the nation's economy. I also joined with the federal Minister for
Climate Change and Energy and, of course, our Minister for Energy, Minister
Johnston, to confirm this deal this morning. WA
will receive up to $3 billion through concessional loans and equity investments
through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The funds will go to new
builds and major upgrades to transmission. For instance, the south west interconnected system, which serves
more than $1.1 billion people, will increase its capacity and capability
to deal with the significant uplift in energy consumption that will take place.
It also will be about connecting
those systems in which we see a big uptake in renewable energy production, such as the midwest–Geraldton
area. The north west interconnected system, which powers our energy-intensive industries, accounts for 40 per cent of WA's energy
use. There we will be able to see a truly
interconnected system, building on the standalone generating capability of
industry in the Pilbara but also connecting it so that we have a smooth,
integrated system that takes advantage of our huge renewable energy
capabilities.
WA
has made major inroads in our phased transition to cleaner, reliable,
affordable and more secure energy. The joint Rewiring the Nation
agreement bolsters our efforts to delivering our sensible and achievable
climate action plan. It is a responsible and collaborative approach with the
Albanese federal government and the private sector, and it will pave the way
for world-leading renewable energy and hydrogen projects in WA, supporting
thousands of jobs. In this funding alone, there will be 1 800 jobs in
construction, which is an exciting opportunity for Western Australia. But the
jobs that will be generated as a result of having these upgrades to our north
west interconnected system and our south west interconnected system will be in
the thousands. This is a really exciting opportunity. I congratulate the
Minister for Energy for securing this agreement and thank the federal
government for its collaborative partnership in making this happen.
member for Mirrabooka. It is a great question. Minister Johnston is
having a red-letter day. Not only has he flexed his debating muscles already,
but he is also in a position to celebrate having attracted almost $3 billion of
funding from the commonwealth to continue to ensure that we embark on a statewide
epic mission of decarbonising our electricity grids.
As
part of the Rewiring the Nation plan, this $3 billion deal with federal funding
is the biggest in Australia. The major upgrades to the south west
interconnected system and the north west interconnected system will allow
electricity grids to modernise and expand; deliver secure energy for
generations to come; and, critically, allow our state to truly harness the
power of renewable energy. Our existing grids were put in place at a time when
renewable energy was part of science fiction or, as the Prime Minister said
this morning in his announcement, at a time when the only solar power that was
used was to make our pocket calculators
work. This package will bring our network into the next century. It is the
automotive e quivalent of trading in a dusty old Datsun for a brand new
Tesla.
It
was a privilege to be with the Prime Minister this morning—a Prime
Minister who gets Western Australia. He is a Prime Minister who is like
no other in living memory as he really understands the importance of Western Australia
to the nation's economy. I also joined with the federal Minister for
Climate Change and Energy and, of course, our Minister for Energy, Minister
Johnston, to confirm this deal this morning. WA
will receive up to $3 billion through concessional loans and equity investments
through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The funds will go to new
builds and major upgrades to transmission. For instance, the south west interconnected system, which serves
more than $1.1 billion people, will increase its capacity and capability
to deal with the significant uplift in energy consumption that will take place.
It also will be about connecting
those systems in which we see a big uptake in renewable energy production, such as the midwest–Geraldton
area. The north west interconnected system, which powers our energy-intensive industries, accounts for 40 per cent of WA's energy
use. There we will be able to see a truly
interconnected system, building on the standalone generating capability of
industry in the Pilbara but also connecting it so that we have a smooth,
integrated system that takes advantage of our huge renewable energy
capabilities.
WA
has made major inroads in our phased transition to cleaner, reliable,
affordable and more secure energy. The joint Rewiring the Nation
agreement bolsters our efforts to delivering our sensible and achievable
climate action plan. It is a responsible and collaborative approach with the
Albanese federal government and the private sector, and it will pave the way
for world-leading renewable energy and hydrogen projects in WA, supporting
thousands of jobs. In this funding alone, there will be 1 800 jobs in
construction, which is an exciting opportunity for Western Australia. But the
jobs that will be generated as a result of having these upgrades to our north
west interconnected system and our south west interconnected system will be in
the thousands. This is a really exciting opportunity. I congratulate the
Minister for Energy for securing this agreement and thank the federal
government for its collaborative partnership in making this happen.
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