Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I get more correspondence from constituents in my Curtin electorate about the need for stronger climate action than on any other issue. Recently I've been contacted by many people concerned about the Western Australian Climate Change Bill, which will soon be introduced into the WA state parliament.

Most people in this parliament understand the climate change catastrophe that we're facing. Our deserts are becoming drier. The temperatures in the south-west of Western Australia have increased. The frequency, intensity and duration of hot spells have also increased. The annual rainfall over the west coast has declined. In the far south-west of WA it has declined by up to 20 per cent. Our wet areas are getting wetter. Our rain increasingly comes as intense downpours, creating higher risk of catastrophic floods. In January this year the Kimberley region of the north-west of WA experienced devastating floods.

It is an inescapable fact that, as one of the biggest producers and exporters of gas globally, Western Australia is disproportionately contributing to Australia's pollution and emissions. Not surprisingly, there has been much interest in this bill and high expectation that it might finally bring Western Australia into line with the emissions targets set by the federal government and by other states. On 21 September the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation released an explanatory paper for this bill. The department hasn't released an exposure draft, which means we don't know exactly what we're dealing with. What we do know is that it is not intended that this bill will include a 2030 target. The bill will formalise the long-term 2050 target of net zero emissions and it will require the minister to develop an emissions reduction strategy over a period of another three years. A lot can happen in three years.

Energy emissions in Western Australia increased by more than 50 per cent between 2005 and 2021 and fugitive emissions more than doubled during this same period. WA is way behind. We need climate change legislation that's ambitious and decisive in its commitment to emissions reduction and that reflects a serious commitment to the transition to renewable sources of energy. WA is missing out on its fair share of renewable energy projects. In 2022 only five per cent of renewable energy capacity committed was in WA. Without an energy grid that can support the transition and clear regulatory pathways for renewables we will continue to fall back on fossil fuels.

In August this year the WA state and federal governments reached an agreement—with federal funding of $3 billion committed—to boost and upgrade the state's main grid in the south and the north-west grid in the Pilbara to support renewable energy projects by mining companies in the north of the state and by green industries in the south. Both governments are to be commended for this, but at the same time there are currently plans to extend the life of the North West Shelf gas-processing facility to 2070, an extension of almost 50 years, for which it's estimated that scope 1 emissions alone will be close to 385 million tonnes. The state government is sending mixed messages at best about our role in decarbonisation.

There's no indication that this government recognises its duty of care that should arise to future generations. The explanatory paper anticipates the setting of some interim statewide targets but no targets for earlier than 2035, and there will be no targets at all contained in the bill. In fact, the bill kicks the can down the road and a 2035 target, 12 years away, will not even be set until 2025. Legislated targets are critical—targets aligned with science, targets that deliver steep reductions early and interim targets across all sectors of the economy that drive the emissions curve down. Targets are essential to send a clear message to investors that we are serious about decarbonising. Without legislated targets, very little will happen.

Constituents have also approached me with concerns about the timing of the new legislation. The period of consultation for this bill has been contracted. In September, the WA government commenced a four-week targeted consultation period for 100 stakeholder groups chosen by government. There's been no period of broader public consultation and no draft bill. Any other group or individual wanting further information has been directed to a fact sheet and explanatory paper— (Time expired)