Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

Victorian Renewable Energy Target 2022–23 Progress Report

Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (17:23): I stand to give a statement on the Victorian Renewable Energy Target 2022–23 Progress Report, tabled during this term of government. It is quite fortuitous that I had planned to make this statement on energy and renewable energy in Victoria given what has been announced today in the nuclear space. I am very glad I have this opportunity to talk to this report, but I will also give some reflections on what has come out of today’s media reports at a very low level.

Last year in Victoria 38 per cent of electricity came from renewable sources, which is something this side is incredibly proud of. We have consistently seen Victoria have the lowest wholesale rates of energy in Australia, and we are seeing tens of billions of dollars of investment coming to this state in renewables. This is generations of jobs. It is all here for Victorians, and we have a clear pathway over the next 11 years to get 95 per cent of electricity generation in this state from renewables. However, today amid deep divisions between state Nationals and Liberals and deep divisions between state Liberals and federal Liberals we have seen a policy of nuclear to be rolled out across this country, and one of those nuclear reactors is to be in Gippsland. Hundreds have signed my petition to say no to nuclear reactors in our community, and I would like the opposition to explain what a nuclear reactor will do to agricultural land values in proximity to the nuclear reactor. If somebody owns pristine, critically important farmland and a nuclear reactor is built on or indeed flagged for that land and they want to sell that property, what will it do to their land value?

Farmers’ water supply: in time of drought and low supply will the local water be prioritised to a nuclear power plant or will it be prioritised for local farmers who are there operating today? Taxpayers footing the bill: how much is this reactor in Gippsland going to cost? How much will it need to be subsidised by taxpayers? How much will it cost to store the waste? We know that in Fukushima the reactor melted down. If there is an accident, who is on the hook for the risk? I may be wrong, but I think it was something like $500 billion, whatever it was. One of the biggest listed companies in Tokyo went broke overnight. What is the size of an exclusion zone in an accident, and what compensation will be paid to those in the vicinity? How will nuclear compete with cheap renewables?

I am very glad that the opposition shadow spokesperson for energy has stopped talking about baseload energy. I think he has figured out that baseload is fine, and he has now changed his language to ‘firming’, so he sounds like he absolutely knows what he talks about, but how will nuclear compete? In Ontario I think it is they have just had to install a battery beside a nuclear power plant because it cannot export its power for much of the day, much of the month and much of the year. Mr McCracken is sitting there looking bewildered. But that is how it is, Mr McCracken. How will the community be protected in the instance of fire, flood or earthquake? What will Peter Dutton and the Liberals and Pesutto and the Liberals here and indeed the Nationals do to ensure the community is protected in the instance of fire, flood or earthquake?

Tell me, what is the position on this policy of Mr Chester and Martin Cameron? Those members on the ground in touch with their local community – what is their position? How do they feel about nuclear reactors? Because I can tell you the people I am talking to, the people who are signing my petition, the people in the conversations I am having are telling me they do not want a nuclear reactor in their community, and Victorians across the board do not want a nuclear reactor in this state. When they want to drive down to the prom, they want to go down there free from the risks of a nuclear reactor. Farmers in South Gippsland do not want their pristine agricultural land near a reactor. Eastern Gippslanders driving to Sale or further on do not want to drive past a nuclear reactor. Whether it is our water, whether it is our land – no matter what it is – people do not want a nuclear reactor, and it would be great if you could get your heads together, stop leaking to the Herald Sun on your separate opinions, come up with a decent energy policy and bring it to the people of Victoria.