Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Clean hydrogen has a critical role to play as we make the global shift towards a low carbon economy. If we can produce hydrogen from renewable energy, Australia could forge a multi-billion dollar green industry with tens of thousands of new, well-paid jobs. While this has long been an aspiration, the economics are changing rapidly, as is the potential for this technology to become a viable commercial reality. And the market potential is massive, with the global market expected to top A$200 billion by 2024.

Given our natural advantages, Australia has the potential to be a hydrocarbon powerhouse. My home city of Newcastle in particular the has energy smarts, the industrial experience and the infrastructure needed to be a key player, but first the policy settings need to be right. After seven years and 19 energy policy attempts, the Morrison government still have no national energy policy and they continue to push an anti-renewables agenda, refusing to capitalise on the huge benefits that clean energy can bring to Australian households and businesses. It's time for the Morrison government to reject, once and for all, climate change denialism and end its war on science. We need an energy policy that incentivises renewable energy investment, putting green carbon front and centre.

Federal Labor have long recognised the incredible potential for carbon, for the environment, for jobs, for our international competitiveness. We went to the 2019 election with a strong $1.1 billion national hydrogen plan, which would have been one of the largest industry development packages in the history of this country. We also committed to delivering 50 per cent of energy from renewable sources and doubling the budget of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to invest in these game-changing projects. Regretfully, we weren't able to form government, but that doesn't make the need to support a green hydrogen industry any less urgent.

Research by ACIL Allen projected that Australian hydrogen exports could be worth $10 billion in 20 years, mainly in regional areas. As I mentioned earlier, my home city of Newcastle is uniquely placed to benefit as one of the nation's premier energy research hubs. With a rich history steeped in energy production, Newcastle has all of the ingredients to become a powerhouse of hydrogen research, development, production and export. We have energy smarts in abundance through the world-leading Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources and the flagship CSIRO Energy Centre. We have a strong industrial skills base with more than a century of experience and we have a fabulous deepwater port.

Like most Novocastrians, I have nothing but respect for the hard and often dangerous work of coalminers in the region. These men and women are part of our families and our communities. They've helped shape our past and present and play a key role in driving our region's prosperity. But coal, like oil and gas, is a finite resource that produces significant greenhouse gas emissions. If we are to combat climate change, we know we must transition to a low-emissions, low-carbon economy. Hydrogen, along with battery storage, will be key to Australia's energy future.

Newcastle and the Hunter have a lot at stake in any such transition, which is why we should be leading these discussions, ensuring no-one is left behind as we take full advantage of the opportunities ahead. As Ross Garnaut showed in his book Superpower: Australia's low-carbon opportunity we now have a golden window to capitalise on our abundant natural resources and our exceptional research capabilities to become a global energy superpower—although, on this second point, I'd like to note CSIRO and science itself have suffered gravely at the hands of this Liberal government, and our energy scientists aren't immune. Indeed, only a few months ago we learned that 40 energy jobs are set to go from the CSIRO, including up to nine from the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle. If we are to fulfil the incredible promise of clean hydrogen, the government must call time on their reckless climate wars, stop attacking scientists and grasp this opportunity with both hands. Right now, Australia needs a genuine national energy policy that will drive investment and growth in the clean energies of the future.

Sitting suspended from 18 : 06 to 18 : 11

See this speech in context