Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lundy for the question and for her interest particularly in the employment benefits of tackling climate change. There have been some positive developments in building a clean energy future for Australia today. Today, the Prime Minister, along with Premier Rees and I, launched the Capital Wind Farm in Bungendore, a wind farm by Infigen Energy that will boost the nation’s wind power capacity by more than 10 per cent. The wind farm comprises 67 wind turbines capable of supplying electricity to around 60,000 homes and is almost five times the size of any other wind farm in New South Wales. It is a project that provided employment opportunities for over 120 people during the construction phase and that will provide ongoing employment in the local community.

Renewable energy is a critical component of the Rudd government’s commitment to take concrete and practical steps to tackle the threat of climate change. As the government’s renewable energy target continues to progress, we know that, by 2020, 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity will come from renewable sources. That means that in 10 years time the amount of electricity coming from sources like wind, wave, solar and geothermal energy will be about equal to Australia’s current household electricity use.

We also know that we need a price on carbon that sends the signal that we need to drive investment in further clean energy investment. That is why we need the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. There are around 50 wind farms currently in operation around the nation and that will only expand under this government’s policies. That is something of which those on this side of the chamber are proud. (Time expired)