Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee into the Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure in a Warming World, be established to inquire into and report on, by 10 February 2017, the following matters:

(a) the role of storage technologies and localised, distributed generation to provide Australia's electricity networks with the resilience to withstand the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events driven by global warming;

(b) recommend measures that should be taken by federal, state and local governments to hasten the rollout of such technologies in order to:

  (i) create jobs in installation, manufacture and research of storage and distribution technologies,

  (ii) stimulate household and business demand for storage technologies,

  (iii) anticipate the rapid deployment of localised distributed generation through changes to market rules,

  (iv) drive the reduction in technology costs through economies of scale, and

  (v) seize on the opportunities to be a global leader in deploying storage technologies because of Australia's high fixed electricity tariffs and significant penetration of rooftop solar; and

(c) any other relevant matters.

(2) That the committee consist of 7 senators, 2 nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 3 nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, 1 nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens and 1 nominated by minority groups and independent senators.

(3) That:

(a) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, the Leader of the Australian Greens or any minority party or independent senator;

(b) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and

(c) a participating member shall be taken to be a member of the committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee if a majority of members of the committee is not present.

(4) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.

(5) That the committee elect as chair a member nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens and, as deputy chair, a member nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

(6) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

(7) That the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, may appoint another member of the committee to act as chair during the temporary absence of both the chair and deputy chair at a meeting of the committee.

(8) That, in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote.

(9) That the committee and any subcommittee have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, notwithstanding any prorogation of the Parliament or dissolution of the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings, the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(10) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President.

(11) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such documents and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of proceedings take place in public.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

Through the COAG Energy Council, the government, working with the states and territories, has developed a substantial work program to facilitate the rollout of distributor generation and storage. This includes the development of standards, training and accreditation for battery installation, putting in place appropriate consumer protections for new technologies and ensuring standalone power systems, such as microgrids, are effectively incorporated into the wider regulatory framework. Further, at the meeting on 7 October the council established an independent inquiry to develop a national reform blueprint to maintain energy security and reliability in the national electricity markets.

Question agreed to.