Ms O’CONNOR question to MINISTER for ENERGY and RENEWABLES, Mr DUIGAN
I know you have had a long day.
The government that you are part of has repeatedly said Tasmania is 100 per cent renewable energy efficient but, as you know, we are importing dirty coal‑fired power from Victoria across Bass Strait. Gas production in Tasmania has more than tripled since the government that you are part of came to office and this continues trends that have been going on for at least a decade.
In a climate crisis, fossil fuel production should be going down. Yet in the last parliament session alone you refused to rule out new coal mines. Why is the government you are part of so pro‑gas, which is not a transition fuel, it is a climate‑cooking fossil fuel and overseeing an increase in its use?
ANSWER
Thank you, Mr President, and I thank the member for the question. I think the question referenced an increase in the production of gas.
Ms O’Connor – There has also been an increase in its use, as you know.
Mr DUIGAN – Well, in terms of producing gas in Tasmania – I am not sure about that – certainly, last calendar year was a particularly dry year and to have as part of our energy security mix the Tamar Valley Power Station which, of course, does burn natural gas. It proved – it was the first time that facility had run in anger for – or the combined cycle aspect of that facility had run for, I think, five or six years but it is there and it is standing by in Tasmania to ensure that the state can continue to function because we are weather dependent. We are a renewable energy state but we are weather dependent.
It was not only a dry year but it was also not a very windy year and those two things together combine to give us at times, on occasions, year by year, some energy security issues with our 100 per cent renewables. I would reiterate that on average, over time, we certainly do produce 100 per cent of our electricity needs by renewable means.
Your question leads nicely into what is a very ambitious renewable energy agenda. We have legislated to double our level of renewable energy generation by 2040. We will build Marinus Link. We will build the North West Transmission and we will encourage more renewable energy generation on our island. We do not want to be – as Energy minister, I do not want to be burning gas but I do recognise at the moment it does have a role to play here in Tasmania but that is why we need to build things. We need to approve things and we need to build them.
Ms O’Connor – But they also need a social licence and public participation.
