Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Xenophon for the question. There are two aspects, the first in relation to broader compliance and probity systems and the second in relation to the particular firm True Value Solar. On the second issue what I can indicate, and I understand this is on the ORER website, is that the business True Value Solar has agreed to an enforceable undertaking. This correlates with the regulator's compliance and enforcement policy. It is an undertaking which I understand has been made public and the details of it are on the website.

In relation to the broader issue of compliance and probity regimes under the renewable energy target it is the case over the last 12 months that the government has significantly strengthened requirements for government assistance for solar installations under the federal scheme—that is, the renewable energy target—to further protect consumers and also to assist states and territories in the enforcement of laws and to support industry accreditation through the Clean Energy Council. There is a requirement for CEC accredited installers and in addition there is a range of standards and requirements which need to be signed off for certificates to be created. An additional inspection regime, I am advised, has been established to identify breaches of standards and to properly pass this information to state and territory enforce­ment agencies responsible for electrical safety.

These changes have significantly strength­ened requirements originally put in place by the Howard government and address limitations in enforcement powers to give the regulator a wide range of measures to take action where systems do not comply. There are a number of matters that the regulator engages in to minimise the creation of non-compliant renewable energy scheme certificates. For example, all applications for certificates undergo electronic eligibility checking and validation before they are traded or surrendered. (Time expired)