Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

This is a very important report. It highlights the merit of renewable energy in Australia. I particularly want to note the merit and the importance of the Musselroe Bay wind farm in north-east Tasmania. There has been considerable discussion about this particular project over many years now, but also in recent days. The fact is that we need this development to proceed now more than ever before. There has been news, which is in the public domain, of the Gunns sawmill closure, with some 100-plus jobs being impacted. That closure in the months ahead will greatly hurt north-east Tasmania, specifically Scottsdale.

The Musselroe Bay wind farm will be a $400-plus million wind farm development that is vital for the north-east to compensate for the impending loss. The governments at both state and federal level should not have a nonchalant attitude, which it appears they have at the moment. They should take this very seriously. They should grasp this opportunity with both hands.

I support any action that will progress this project sooner rather than later. We cannot take anything for granted under both these governments. The news reports in recent days that this project would proceed vindicates my public comments in September advising that the project would go ahead, despite criticism at the time that I was jumping the gun. I was absolutely spot on at the time, and my comments were based on credible reports and advice that I had received from both Roaring 40s and the Hydro Tasmania. I am pleased that that is now on the public record.

This project is going ahead because the Liberals, particularly in this place, and the coalition have kept up pressure on Labor, who have bungled the renewable energy certificate market—and that is unfortunate. Earlier this year, I moved a motion in the Senate calling for early action to support the Musselroe Bay wind farm. That motion was put to the Senate on 15 March and it was passed on the voices but it was opposed by Labor senators, including Tasmanian Labor senators, which was a great disappointment. Shame on them!

Pressure subsequently intensified on the federal government, who were forced to fast-track their legislation to stabilise the renewable energy target market, which supports projects such as Musselroe Bay. The wind farm, as I said, will cost over $400 million. There will be 56 turbines delivering 168 megawatts of power. The company has already spent more than $20 million. Congratulations to Roaring 40s for what it has done to date. It has the full support of the Dorset Council and the local community. In that regard I am pleased to advise that Sophie Mirabella, the shadow minister for industry, science and research, and I will be there on 5 November, meeting with the council and taking up the concerns of the local community to see what we can do to assist the local community to save jobs, to progress the development and to do anything else that is relevant in the interests of the local community.

It is expected that the project will bring as many as 180-odd jobs to the north-east during the construction phase, and approximately 50 ongoing jobs. So this is an important project, and I also want to commend Peter Gutwein, the shadow minister for industry in Tasmania, for his work in promoting this project and in supporting the north-east. He has been diligent and on 25 October, just a few days ago, he called for that wind farm to be fast-tracked. He called on the state Labor government to act more diligently to get that project underway. He indicated that the Labor-Green government had been lolling around, ignoring all the economic signs and that they should be helping Roaring 40s get on with this project.

Well, Peter Gutwein, you are spot on. Well done, and congratulations to you. We will do whatever it takes to try and get growth, jobs and development in the north-east to not only compensate for the Gunns sawmill closure but also overcome the difficulties they are having as a result of other closures they have suffered over the past months and years. I commend this report to the Senate and I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.