Thursday, 6 March 2025

Hydrogen projects

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:07): (838) My question is to Minister Symes in her capacity as the Minister for Regional Development, and I refer to the application through Regional Development Victoria, including after a three-year panel process, for support of a hydrogen transport process overseen by Countrywide Hydrogen and ask why, after a three-year process, was this application for a low-emission project rejected? Has the government run out of money?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:08): Mr Davis, I am not in a position to provide you with any details in relation to that project. As you indicated, it was commenced before my time. I have not received any advice in relation to it, but I am happy to look into it and provide you with an answer. If you had given me a bit of a heads-up, I probably could have gotten some information beforehand, but as the President has ruled, when you ask specific questions about specific projects, I do not necessarily have all of the information at hand. In relation to the questions that you have asked, I will take the opportunity to get some information and if possible provide that to Mr Davis.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:08): This is a recent outcome, I might add, and I therefore ask, as a supplementary: what policies, if any, does the government have in place for Regional Development Victoria to support the development of hydrogen as a power source for heavy freight and buses in country Victoria?

Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:09): I thank Mr Davis for his question. When it comes to investment in regional Victoria –

Melina Bath interjected.

Jaclyn SYMES: All right. Ms Bath, that eye-roll was pretty extraordinary. We have allocated more than $45 billion in the past 10 years into regional Victoria, and part of that –

David Davis: On a point of order, President, general funding is not what the question was about; it was about a very specific item. The minister might choose not to answer questions, but she cannot answer different questions.

The PRESIDENT: The minister was only going for 20 seconds.

Jaclyn SYMES: Mr Davis, you were referring to government policies in relation to supporting projects, job creation and innovation in regional Victoria, and that is what I was specifically responding to. We have a strong track record of investing in industry, investing in opportunities for innovation through grants, where it creates jobs in regional Victoria. I am always open to talk –

David Davis: On a point of order, President, the Minister for Regional Development has been asked a very specific question about hydrogen, and she does not seem to want to mention that word. Now, if you have got something to say about hydrogen, good. If you do not, say you will take it on notice and come back.

The PRESIDENT: The minister did offer in her response to the substantive to get any information she can for you, Mr Davis. I think she is just giving some context to your supplementary.