Page 4453 - Week 10 - Thursday, 23 September 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
legislatively in two steps. The first is to amend the electricity feed-in tariff act, the existing act, to expand eligibility to medium generators from 30 kilowatts to 200 kilowatts. I anticipate introducing that amending bill into the Assembly before the end of this year. In relation to large generators, the government’s advice, and the advice I have to date, although it is subject to change, is that we expect to need to establish a separate piece of legislation for large-scale generators, and that will need to be developed over the course of the coming months. I expect to introduce that piece of legislation some time in the first half of next year. I would expect the auction to equally occur some time in the first half of next year. I will be able to give more definitive details as the policy work continues and develops, but that is my best advice to the Assembly at this time as to the time frames.
MR SESELJA: Supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Seselja.
MR SESELJA: Minister, does the Labor Party election promise from 2008 commit the Labor Party to a $30 million subsidy for a solar farm and does indeed the Labor-Greens agreement commit to the same and, if so, has that $30 million been delivered and, if not, will you admit that you have broken both an election promise and the provisions of the Labor-Greens agreement?
MR CORBELL: I thank Mr Seselja for the question, and the answer is simply, no, the government has not broken its election promise and the government has not broken its agreement in the parliamentary agreement, because what both of those things require and commit the government to deliver is a large scale solar farm capable of powering 10,000 homes. That is what it commits the government to do, and a large scale feed-in tariff allows for that to be delivered.
If Mr Seselja says the government must be committed to the means as well as the ends, he has a very funny way of viewing the way that these things evolve. Because, if he was a half intelligent leader of the opposition, he would know that the government will always look at the best and most feasible way of delivering on its commitments. And what we have announced today, based on the feedback from industry itself is that the best way to deliver that election commitment is through a large scale feed-in tariff.
If Mr Seselja knows better than organisations such as the Australian Solar Energy Society, if he knows better than the views of large investors and large companies who are interested in deploying large scale solar here in the ACT, then let us hear his learned opinion. But the fact is that we know that the best way to deliver large scale solar here in the ACT and to deliver the election commitment of a solar farm capable of powering at least 10,000 Canberra homes is to establish a large scale feed-in tariff.
Why is it the best way? Because it means you get the lowest possible cost for the highest possible level of renewable energy generation. What responsible government would not pursue that course of action?
Schools—Black Mountain special school
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services. Minister, as you already know, Black Mountain special school
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video