Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

The meat industry does have a lot of opportunities, under the carbon pricing arrangements, to improve its efficiency, its productivity and its competitiveness. With simple technology—for example, by covering a settlement pond at a meatworks—methane gas can be captured and used to generate electricity and potentially remove an abattoir that has a carbon price liability from that liability altogether. If the methane is used to generate electricity, they can generate their own power and even sell that electricity back into the grid. One abattoir that I am aware of is examining technology known as a biodigester. The waste products go in one end, methane is used to generate electricity, and fertiliser and drinkable water are produced as a result.

The carbon price has stimulated the investigation of all of these technologies, and the government is providing competitive grants to assist the meat industry to put them into place. They will drive efficiency improvements; they will cut costs. Compare these facts with the fictions from the coalition, particularly Senator Barnaby Joyce's ridiculous claim that a lamb roast will cost $100 under the carbon price. The facts are that the meat industry will work well with the government to reduce their emissions and cut their energy bills.

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