Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The hypocrisy of this MPI and the speakers in it is truly mind-boggling. Those opposite have spent two whole years dreaming up their 23rd energy policy, and the big reveal last week was half-baked at best—no detail, no costings and no consultation with the community. They had almost a decade to advance a new energy industry here in Australia, and they sat on their hands while 24 out of 28 coal-fired power stations announced their closure in the next decade, under their watch. On this side of the chamber we have a reliable renewables plan—the only plan supported by experts to deliver the clean, cheap, reliable and resilient energy Australians deserve. In six days time we're taking $300 off power bills. In two decades Peter Dutton wants to serve up the most expensive form of energy there is.

Since we've come to government we've had a 25 per cent increase in renewables, record investment in batteries and storage and over 330,000 rooftop solar installations in just the last year alone. We live in a country rich with land, wind and sun, which is creating boundless opportunities for renewable energy—and we are harnessing them.

We have approved more than 50 renewable projects since the last election and we are already halfway to meeting our 2030 target of 82 per cent renewables in the grid. Just 10 days ago, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy was in Port Kembla to declare the offshore wind zone in the Illawarra—offshore wind, which, I will remind those opposite, was legislated by those opposite under their guidelines. This is the fourth officially declared zone in the country and it will unlock renewable energy jobs, energy security and job security—and they are good secure well-paid jobs too—while supporting onshore manufacturing powered by reliable renewable energy for the Illawarra. It will bring new employment opportunities, creating an estimated 1,740 new jobs during construction and 870 ongoing jobs. It has the potential to generate an estimated 2.9 gigawatts of electricity and that is enough to power 1.8 million homes. The zone will also power existing heavy industry like BlueScope Steel with cleaner, cheaper energy, helping to secure the future of thousands of existing jobs in the Illawarra as well as provide opportunities to attract new job-creating industries using clean energy.

But those opposite are wheeling out the old mis and disinformation machine, dividing local communities and trying to create uncertainty for renewable energy projects. They've been saying offshore wind will be the end of fishing. But just last week, I was listening to an interview on ABC Illawarra with Lindsay McDougall and Steve 'Starlo' Starling. Starlo is a well-known and loved most-prolific fishing writer. He has published over 20 books, thousands of magazine articles and scores of DVDs and videos. When Lindsay McDougall asked him about offshore wind and whether this would in fact lead to more fish, Starlo said, 'If you build it, they will come, and the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and places like that are a great example of that. They certainly weren't built to cater to recreational fishermen but they attract a huge amount of fish.' They are real fishing hotspots. You are allowed to fish right up to them. I understand there has to be an exclusion zone on these, and 50 metres is quite reasonable. Most of us can cast nearly that far, so you will be able to cast right up against the structure and let your lures or baits drop down. You know, it will be fantastic fishing and that's what Starlo said. You heard it here first: offshore wind and recreational fishing can coexist.

If the hypocrisy of the MPI question wasn't bad enough, how about the coalition's position on offshore wind? Even after the election, the member for Fairfax was all for offshore wind. On 25 October 2022, the shadow minister said, 'Offshore energy infrastructure has the potential to create significant investment and job-creation opportunities, as well as contribute to Australia's future energy security.' But that is not all. The Nationals are saying it too. The leader said just over 12 months ago, 'We are not against renewables. It should be offshore. That's common sense.'

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