Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I know it is late in the proceedings, but there should be a response to that. This is a chamber discussing important matters, and silence on a simple question about the timetabling of an important amendment, which the minister sees merit in, is not satisfactory. I am not going to press the issue. If that is the way it is going with the minister, so be it. But it is not satisfactory as a response from a minister in a chamber discussing issues like this. Communities across this country would want to have the certainty of the outcome which this amendment provides, but which they will not have. Some certainty could have been provided by the minister in a spirit of goodwill, but there you go.

Question negatived.

by leave—I move Australian Green amendments (8A) and (8B) on sheet 5887 revised:

(8A) Schedule 1, item 6, page 8 (line 1), after “However,”, insert “subject to subsection (3A),”.

(8B) Schedule 1, item 6, page 8 (after line 3), after subsection 23B(3), insert:

     (3A)    However, in the case of an off-grid small generation unit, the regulations must provide for a number of certificates to be multiplied in relation to the first 20kW of the rated power output of the unit.

      (3B)    In subsection (3A):

off-grid small generation unit means:

             (a)    a small generation unit at least 1 kilometre from the nearest main-grid line; or

             (b)    in the case of a small generation unit less than 1 kilometre from a main-grid line—the owner has provided written evidence from the local network service provider that the total cost of connecting the unit to the main-grid is more than $30,000, making it uneconomic to connect the unit to the main-grid.

Question negatived.

by leave—I move Australian Greens amendment (10) and (15) on sheet 5816 revised:

(10)  Schedule 1, page 8 (after line 10), after item 7, insert:

7AB  At the end of Division 4 of Part 2

Add:

Subdivision D—Period of validity of certificates

24A  Period of validity of certificates

                 A certificate created in accordance with this Division is a valid certificate for the period ending 4 years from the date of its creation.

(15)  Schedule 1, page 10 (before line 1), after item 8, insert:

8AB  Section 45

Before “A certificate”, insert “(1)”.

8AC  At the end of section 45

Add:

        (2)    For the purpose of paragraph (1)(a), a certificate is a valid certificate for the period ending 4 years from the date of its creation.

These amendments limit the banking of the RETs to four years. The outcome of this amendment would be to smooth out the boom-bust potential in the system as it is before the chamber. We are not going to die in a ditch over this, but it would give more stability to the system were it to be accepted.

Question negatived.

I move Australian Greens amendment (13) on sheet 5816 revised:

(13)  Schedule 1, item 8, page 9 (line 18) to page 10 (before line 1), omit the item, substitute:

8  Section 40

Repeal the section, substitute:

40  Required GWh of renewable source electricity

        (1)    The required GWh of renewable source electricity for the years 2001 to 2009 is set out in the following table:

        (2)    The required GWh of renewable source electricity for the years 2010 to 2030 is set out in the following table:

        (3)    The Minister by 30 September each year must cause to be prepared and tabled a report estimating for subsequent years the GWh of renewable source electricity to which the percentage targets in subsection (2) are likely to equate.

        (4)    The Minister must review and increase the target specified in subsection (2) for a year if the value of a renewable energy certificate is below $40 for more than 6 months.

This is an important amendment, and this is certainly one that will show the space between the Greens and the two older parties. The amendment reviews the target and it effectively increases the target to 30 per cent of renewable energy to be delivered by 2020.