David Van (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The recent blackouts experienced in Victoria are a stark example of the vulnerabilities of our power grid. These blackouts are further evidence that the government's Rewiring the Nation policy is a folly. It's a $100 billion taxpayer funded folly. Blackouts highlight the vulnerability of poles and wires to adverse weather conditions, which, as we know, are expected to worsen due to the intensifying effects of climate change. It is perplexing that the federal government remains committed to an approach that prioritises the expansion of a conventional transmission system despite the clear warning bells rung by this recent blackout.

The government's strategy involves extending poles and wires across vast distances, across bushfire zones, across protected land and across prime agricultural land. Rewiring the Nation is a folly that has an enormous cost, no social licence and fails to contribute in any way to the power generation storage capabilities of the grid. This risky, expensive folly doesn't generate one electron and doesn't store even one kilowatt of power.

It is time for this government to abandon this outdated project and adopt energy strategies that align more closely with Australia's unique environmental conditions and future energy needs. Imagine what $100 billion of taxpayer dollars could do if it were invested directly into households. Investing in rooftop solar, coupled with vehicle-to-grid EV technology could have an immediate result, lowering emissions and removing the need for poles and wires. If we need transmission, we could also look at providing underground DC cabling for higher efficiency and lower risk of fire. (Time expired)