Guy Barnett, Minister for Energy and Renewables,
Last Wednesday Energy Ministers from across the country came together to meet with the new Federal Energy Minister to work through the unprecedented challenges facing the national electricity market.
We collectively agreed on the critical importance of a sensible, considered reform agenda for the medium to longer term, to position our energy sector to be more resilient and more secure to underpin a modern low carbon economy, including green hydrogen.
Projects such as Marinus Link, Battery of the Nation and Green Hydrogen are front and centre to this agenda and will form a key part of a supercharged Integrated System Plan (ISP) as Australia moves to net zero carbon emissions.
I can confirm discussions between our Government and Minister Chris Bowen on these projects have been positive, with Mr Mr Bowen describing Marinus Link as a ‘key’ national transmission project and one that would fit with the goals of the Federal Government’s Rewiring the Nation Program in the Weekend Australian.
This support is in stark contrast to what we see here in Tasmania from the Labor Party. The Anti-Everything Mr Winter is continuing his anti-everything agenda and has spoken out against Marinus Link, without any alternative plan or policy.
Mr Winter would have us exit the National Electricity Market¸ destroying new investments in renewable energy and leaving Tasmania in the dark ages with no plan and no future.
To be clear, without links to the NEM, Tasmania’s renewable energy credentials would be at risk and we would be highly exposed and more vulnerable to extreme weather events.
It would present energy security risks, which could impact Tasmanian households and ultimately access to affordable and reliable energy.
Marinus Link, Battery of Nation and Green Hydrogen will bring untold benefits to our State, not to mention the development, investment and jobs being drawn to our State as a result of our energy policy. Marinus Link will deliver future downward pressure on electricity prices.
Labor wants to put this all at risk, even though it was the Labor party that originally supported Tasmania’s entry to the NEM through Basslink.
A check of Mr Winter’s Facebook shows that in February this year he visited UPC’s Robbins Island project in the North-West and said the project would ”create hundreds of construction jobs in the region and produce clean energy for Tasmania and the rest of the country.” Now he wants to turn his back on these opportunities and the jobs and investment they would create.
Tasmania’s Independent Energy Regulator is due to consider and announce his final determination shortly and the Tasmanian Government is preparing to respond with a multi-pronged package which cushions the impacts on our most vulnerable.
This package of measures will build on those already in the 2022-23 State Budget to support Tasmanians including:
- $186 million for eligible concession card holders to help manage their electricity bills and,
- the $30 million Tasmanian Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme to support residential and small businesses, including landlords, to install energy efficient appliances and solar systems and keep downward pressure on power bills.
The Tasmanian Government is focused on seeing Tasmania leverage our competitive advantages, grow our economy and keep downward pressure on energy prices – Labor and Dean Winter are simply focused on scare campaigns and miss-truths to hide their incompetence.
