James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The monitoring and regulation of air pollution is a state government responsibility. The South Australian Environment Protection Authority and health department are responding to this issue and have directed Flinders Power to replace the sealant covering the ash and to step up monitoring, and it will be looking at what further action is needed. The environmental regulation and licensing of power stations, including waste storage and management from such facilities, is also managed by state governments.

The Minister for the Environment and Energy recently updated the Australian Renewable Energy Agency's statement of expectation to prioritise support for technologies such as energy storage that would support improved security and reliability of the network. Federal government agencies ARENA and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation are engaged directly with proponents of potential concentrated solar thermal projects proposed for Port Augusta.

Question agreed to.