Josh Wilson (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. How are the projects approved by the Albanese Labor government helping to transform Australia into a renewable energy superpower, and what proposals has the government rejected?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I give thanks so much to the member for Fremantle. He is a strong and effective advocate for net zero in Australia and for a nature-positive Australia as well. We on this side and in the crossbench over there are all committed to getting Australia to net zero. That includes a commitment to get to 82 per cent renewable energy in our grid. I am very pleased to have had a very small part in helping to make the transition by now ticking-off on 51 renewable energy projects since we came to government. That is enough energy to power well over three million homes. On top of that, we've got another 136 renewable energy projects in the pipeline before us right now.

Since coming to government, we have managed to double average on-time approvals. Those opposite talk about the approval system and how slow it is—we have doubled on-time approvals since coming to government. And, of course, the Future Made in Australia plan will help us by building solar panels and batteries here and investing in green hydrogen.

Of course, those opposite have a different plan. For 10 years, when they were told that 24 coal-fired power stations were closing, they did nothing to plan for the energy that would be required to replace that electricity in the grid, but they've come up with a plan now. They've come up with a $387 billion fantasy of a plan to roll out nuclear power across the country. We know that Australian homes and businesses are calling for affordable power now. Instead, they are offering the most expensive form of energy in decades to come. We've had the Leader of the Opposition running up and down the east coast of Australia and elsewhere saying: 'Oh, the wind farms! The koalas! They'll be hurt by the wind farms. The whales will be hurt by the wind farms.' What he wants to do is dump John Howard's environment laws so he can build nuclear reactors anywhere. What we know about those opposite is that it's the fast track for nuclear and the slow lane for renewables.