Page 3002 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
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MR CORBELL: Business were well aware that there was a cap; business were well aware that the cap was being approached. Business knew that, because every time they made an application to Actew for connection, they were aware of where they were in terms of the overall cap allocation. So business knew that.
The fact is that the industry itself contributed to the fast expiration of the cap because they promoted and undertook very aggressive marketing along the lines of “get in quick; this is about to end”. That was the marketing strategy. We all know that. We all saw those flyers in our letterboxes. We all know that the industry itself was aggressively marketing and promoting applications because the scheme was about to end. That was the marketing strategy.
But the real challenge now is to see whether we are serious about supporting larger scale renewable energy generation and policy settings that encourage that. We hear Mr Seselja talk about larger, more efficient cost measures. We hear the Greens argue for more investment in larger scale renewables. Well, now is the time for those two parties to put their money where their mouths are and to support a policy setting that encourages larger scale, more efficient, cost efficient renewable energy generation and not continue to support elements of a scheme that have achieved their outcomes and where the transition now needs to occur. That is the challenge for the Greens and the Liberals this afternoon.
MS HUNTER: Supplementary?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Hunter.
MS HUNTER: Minister, have you done any analysis on how many jobs will be lost and how many businesses will be closed because of the sudden closure of the micro scheme? If not, why not?
MR CORBELL: We know that in terms of the technical trades employed in this industry there is no shortage of opportunity for those technical trades. People who are electricians, people who have the skill sets around the installation of solar, will find ample opportunity as the industry makes the transition to larger scale renewable energy. You still need electricians. You still need people trained in PV, in the installation of PV, to work on medium and large-scale generation. So there is absolutely no question that people with that skill set will be highly sought after and will be able to make the transition.
For that reason, the government’s view very clearly was that the allocation and the emphasis of price support moving towards medium and large-scale renewable energy generation would provide sufficient employment opportunities. The real failure is the failure of industry to recognise that a cap meant a finite period of time for the micro scheme. We know that the smart operators in the industry were moving and have moved to make the transition to medium-scale generation and to look at the economic opportunities there. It is those businesses that failed to do that, even though they understood what the regulatory environment was, that find themselves in this situation.
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