Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator McAllister, and it's regarding the SunCable industrial solar project in the Northern Territory. Minister, please advise the Senate of the total value of guarantees and, as a separate figure, the total value of subsidies available to the project.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am aware that the Minister for the Environment and Water has recently provided approval for the SunCable project. This is a project that, as I understand it, seeks to establish renewable generation capability in the Northern Territory and also significant transmission capability, which will allow that generation to be used within the Australian grid but potentially also to be exported to our Singaporean neighbours. This is potentially an extremely important project. It is also one that is first of kind in the Australian context—

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order, under standing order 72(3)(c): 'Answers shall be directly relevant to each question.' I asked about the total value of guarantees and the total value of subsidies. What are they? If you don't know, please just say so.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will draw the minister to that part of your question, Senator Roberts.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator asks me to comment, I think, on policies that exist in the Australian context to support the rollout of reliable renewables, and of course—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister McAllister, please resume your seat. Senator Roberts, on a point of order?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I asked about the total value of guarantees and the total value of subsidies. That's it.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, the minister barely said seven words, so let's just hear the answer. I have reminded the minister of the question, and I will continue to listen carefully.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government takes our advice about the future of the energy system from experts, and all of the advice that has been provided to us is that the most cost-effective form of new generation to replace the older, ageing assets that are shortly to retire is reliable renewables.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He just wanted to know what the figure is.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Cash, this is not your question.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We take our advice from experts because we believe that Australians deserve the most cost-effective form of energy that is available to us. We can't actually go back to doing things the way that they were done under the previous government.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister McAllister, please resume your seat. Senator Roberts, on a point of order?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the minister that I asked about the total value of guarantees and the total value of subsidies.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have reminded the minister of the question, and I will remind her again, Senator Roberts.

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's okay to say you can take it on notice.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Thank you, Senator Henderson.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My advice is that this project has been— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, first supplementary?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The project proposes to generate electricity in the Northern Territory and send it to Singapore using a 4,300-kilometre-long cable, mostly undersea. This is five times longer than Norway's 760-kilometre Viking Link, the current longest cable. Viking Link loses 3.5 per cent of its generation through transmission loss. What percentage of the project's Australian generated electricity will be lost in transmission to Singapore?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): The senator asks about, essentially, the economics of the project that has been approved, and what I can advise the senator is that this is a matter for the project proponent. The government's role is not to assess the economics of this project. The minister has made a decision in relation to its environmental approvals. This is part of a broader transformation of the Australian economy. We are blessed with abundant sunshine, wind and land, with skilful engineers and skilful personnel, with a mature commercial and legal environment and with a natural electricity system that many other countries seek to talk to us about because of its strengths. These are strengths for Australian communities. They are strengths for Australian regions and they are potentially a source of significant economic opportunity for Australians living in regional communities. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, second supplementary?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister can't or won't tell me about guarantees and subsidies nor a core project assumption, so, Minister, my second supplementary question is: how much is SunCable lodging as a rehabilitation bond for the 12,400 hectares of land that will be covered in solar panels?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator asks about the terms on which the approval for the SunCable project has been provided. I can tell the senator that Minister Plibersek applies the terms of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to all of the matters that come before her. This is a project proposal that intends to establish a significant source of new generation in the Northern Territory, as you indicated in your first supplementary question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, on a point of order?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, is there a rehabilitation bond in place to cover the desecration of the environment?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, it's your responsibility to seek a point of order, not to re-ask your question. If you have a point of order, I invite you to make it. If you don't, I'll ask the minister to continue.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, the point of order is one of relevance.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the minister is being relevant. She has outlined to you the approval processes. So I will ask her to continue.

Order! Order! Senator Cash, which bit of 'order' doesn't apply to you? Minister McAllister, please continue.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister's responsibility, of course, is to apply the law when a project is put before her. Since coming to government we have sought to do so in relation to all of the projects before us, but we are pleased to see new renewable projects coming online. Since coming to government, we have given the green light to more than 55 of those under the national environment— (Time expired)