David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How many private properties will be impacted by the construction of poles and wires across New South Wales as part of Labor's energy policy to build 28,000 kilometres of new transmission lines?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think by 'poles and wires across New South Wales', the honourable member must be referring to HumeLink. HumeLink is the link necessary to connect Snowy 2.0, which the previous government forgot to plug into the grid, which they forgot to connect to the grid. When you have a project, a good project—admittedly it's running 18-months late, but it could be running on time or later; it wouldn't really matter if it's not connected to the grid, which is what the previous government failed to do.

But I always try to be fair about such matters. Credit where it's due: the former minister for energy did bring down a regulation to facilitate transmission, including specifically HumeLink. In that regulation, he said, 'Transmission is critical to deliver low-cost reliable and secure energy to consumers.'

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not 28,000 kilometres, buddy.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll take the interjection from the former minister, who just said, 'It's not 28,000 kilometres.' Well, he did say, on 18 March this year:

Thousands of kilometres of new transmission is likely to be needed to connect new generation, and deliver reliable and affordable energy across the national market.

Thousands of kilometres he said were necessary. He just forgot to deliver any.