Dr WOODRUFF – Stop me if this question has already been asked because I haven’t been in the committee the whole time. Hydro Tasmania has said it will spend $1.6 billion to maintain 10 power stations and five dams over the next 10 years. Can you please provide an itemised list of the power stations and dams, and the expected expenditure on each of them?
Mr DUIGAN – Yes. I am obviously aware of the large‑scale maintenance job ahead for Hydro Tasmania. Again, I fear we are in the GBE realm, particularly as these are very much Hydro‑specific projects. I will ask my team at ReCFIT if they have that detail to add.
Dr WOODRUFF – I certainly hope that you do for such a large expenditure.
Mr BOWLES – We don’t have that detail at hand.
Dr WOODRUFF – Can I take it on notice?
Mr DUIGAN – No, I won’t because it is absolutely Hydro Tasmania. It is a GBE question.
Dr WOODRUFF – It’s $1.6 billion of taxpayers’ money, you’re the minister for Energy, you’re the shareholder minister. I think it’s fair that we have that information here in budget Estimates. I’m not going to get fobbed off to GBEs on this.
Mr DUIGAN – I will see what I can find in here. I don’t have a breakdown and I will seek to hold the line, through you, Chair, that that is a question for GBE scrutiny.
Dr WOODRUFF – I want that on notice, please. That’s $1.6 billion of taxpayers’ money. Why don’t you, as the shareholder minister, have information about that? You have the information; you can get the information. Ten power stations, five dams; this is critical infrastructure for Tasmania. It’s $1.6 billion. I want to take it on notice. It’s outrageous that you would fob that off until GBEs. Parliament has not even decided who’s going to appear this year in GBEs. It’s not even necessarily the case that Hydro would appear.
CHAIR – Dr Woodruff, thank you. I’ve heard what you’ve got to say.
Dr WOODRUFF – I’m waiting to –
CHAIR – No, please let me speak. I cannot direct the minister to answer the question in a particular way or to do as you are requesting. If the member is not satisfied with the response, you can ask a further question or raise it as a matter of concern in the committee’s report. I would suggest you ask another question or I will give the call to –
Dr WOODRUFF – Hold on. I would like to ask another question because the minister hasn’t answered anything yet. He’s withholding incredibly important information from Tasmanians. Are you concerned about the fact that there’s going to be 2.5 per cent less going into Tasmania’s dams a year because of global heating? Is that something that you have taken responsibility on yourself as climate change minister – well, as the minister having responsibility for climate change, for Energy? What conversations have you had with Hydro about diversification? Is there a plan to diversify energy generation on the back of that reality that’s facing us all?
Mr DUIGAN – Hydro Tasmania obviously takes great interest in hydrological flows and rainfall into Tasmania and has very substantial dataset around that particular question. They hold a great deal of expertise in that regard. I point to the government’s Tasmanian Renewable Energy Target commitment of doubling our on‑island generation by 2040 as a way of mitigating that risk and diversifying our portfolio of energy generation opportunities in the state. Renewable energy generation is largely weather-dependent, and spreading our risk profile is a good thing to do.
Dr WOODRUFF – What about for Hydro? This is Hydro’s generation capacity, Hydro’s income-raising capacity. It is expected there will be 2.5 per cent less inflow per year on average. That’s a massive reduction over time. What conversations have you had with Hydro about them diversifying their energy production?
Mr DUIGAN – Hydro Tasmania is already a holder and an investor in wind‑generating assets in the state. We have rewritten the Hydro charter to refocus Hydro on delivering more generation in Tasmania, returning to its foundation principles of delivering jobs and economic outcomes for Tasmania. I think we would see and expect Hydro to be a more active participant in the bringing on of new generation in Tasmania, whether as an off‑taker or as an investment co‑partner, things of that nature. We have had a fairly substantial reset of the Hydro Tasmania position.
