Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks for your question and for what I'm going to take as a long preamble, Senator Whish-Wilson. You asked a specific question about acreage release, and I will answer that, perhaps by saying that we're fully committed to delivering on our 2030 and 2050 climate targets. It's why we're here today and it's why we're debating it.

The release of offshore areas for greenhouse gas storage and petroleum exploration is an annual process. While we are quickly scaling up renewables, other forms of energy, such as gas and oil, continue to play a part in our energy mix. Our approach is to reduce emissions while growing the economy and supporting key industries, and we are working with industry as a partner on our journey. We understand that gas is not a low-emissions fuel, but it does play an important part in helping to power communities by firming and peaking electricity and as a feedstock and source of heat for industry.

Equally, we understand the changing and reduced role that fossil fuels, like gas, will play in a decarbonising global economy. But the truth is that the best way to drive down emissions is with policy certainty, and that is the purpose of the legislation that is before us today.