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

I thank the senator for the opportunity to talk about the Albanese government's Rewiring the Nation program. As senators would be aware, Rewiring the Nation is our plan to provide $20 billion in low-cost finance to upgrade, expand and modernise our electricity grid. We know that transmission is critical to energy transformation. It will enable more renewables and storage to be connected to the grid, driving down energy prices.

I can update the Senate that Rewiring the Nation agreements have been signed with New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. In New South Wales, our agreement will back eight critical transmission projects, including HumeLink, VNI West and important New South Wales renewable energy zones. The New South Wales data indicates that this agreement will support more than 3,900 jobs in New South Wales regions. In Victoria, we are financing VNI West, as well as Victorian renewable energy zones, and securing the Victorian government's support for Marinus Link. Transgrid and AEMO estimate that VNI West will create over 2,000 direct jobs and thousands more indirect jobs. Most will be in regional New South Wales and Victoria.

In Western Australia, we have signed a $3 billion deal to bolster WA's energy security by expanding and modernising electricity grids in Perth, the South West and the north-west Pilbara region. The WA government forecast the investment in WA is expected to support around 1,800 construction jobs, helping to empower regional communities. In Tasmania we have signed an agreement to deliver Marinus Link, which has a critical role to play in our transformation to net zero, a key opportunity for 1,400 jobs and economic development in the state. These are critical projects identified by the market operator that are needed to keep energy security and create jobs right across the country. It is not the entirety of what is required, though. Rewiring the Nation is only the beginning, and we have a comprehensive suite of policies to build out the energy grid that our nation needs for the future. Our Capacity Investment Scheme will deliver six gigawatts of new firmed capacity and storage into the system, while Rewiring the Nation is supporting investment in transmission to better connect those renewables to the grid.

The senator raised issues around social licence. This is critically important. It is why we are prioritising communities at the heart of these policies. We want communities to have a clear stake and a clear say in transmission. This is why the Albanese government announced the community engagement review on 4 July this year. This review is being led by Andrew Dyer, the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner. He will report to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy in December 2023. Already the review has met with 470 stakeholders from across Australia to feed into this important work, and this is on top of the submissions received via an online portal. The review will provide advice on the best way to maximise engagement and benefit in planning, developing and operating infrastructure, including for communities, landholders and First Nations people.

We are also partnering with the states and territories and transmission network service providers. Together we're improving planning, community engagement and community outcomes for new electricity developments. As ageing traditional assets reach their retirement, upgrades and new builds of energy infrastructure, including transmission, are essential for energy security and for delivering cleaner, cheaper energy. We are working to give better guidance to landholders and communities about their rights and entitlements, introduce reforms for earlier and better engagement with communities by proponents and ensure complaints are appropriately handled. We are supporting regional communities to get the best outcomes from new energy infrastructure. The Australian government recently expanded funding for the Office of the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner so that that office may work with communities where there are concerns about the development of renewable energy projects. We're also making changes to the national electricity rules to clarify consultation requirements for transmission to ensure that developments begin at the very start of the route selection process. This will improve community engagement and give back a little more confidence and trust in the consultation process.

I will conclude by offering this: Rewiring the Nation is critical to the energy transformation. It will enable more renewables and storage to be connected to the grid. It is an important feature in delivering on an economic agenda to unlock the supply constraints that have been a significant hurdle in the economy, and it is an important remedy to the energy chaos generated by those opposite in the near decade when they failed to add a single energy policy.