Page 1609 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 7 May 2013
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emissions. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been abated over the life of the scheme. They highlight how a trading scheme with certificates can provide an efficient incentive for the private sector, in particular electricity retailers, to achieve a certain level of abatement in relation to their greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, with the passage of the new carbon price legislation, this scheme is no longer required at a state or territory level. For that reason, that act and its subsequent regulation are being repealed.
Of course, there will remain a range of other complementary measures that the government and states and territories will need to continue to pursue. These include mechanisms to provide for and encourage the uptake of renewable energy generation. The ACT is leading the way there with its large-scale reverse auction feed-in tariff legislation, which is driving the deployment of large-scale renewable energy generation here in the ACT.
Yesterday we saw the closure of the public consultation period on development applications for the development of the 20-megawatt Royalla solar farm, a very important proposal, the first and largest photovoltaic array to be established in Australia to date. I look forward to seeing the results of the consideration of the comments received during the public consultation process on that development application, because that is a development that will play potentially a very important role in helping achieve our abatement here in the ACT.
The government continues with its large-scale reverse auction process. We have received 15 proposals for the second stage of that auction process, and the government is still on track to make a further allocation under that legislation for the deployment of a further 20 megawatts of renewable energy generation here in the ACT.
The government, as you can see, Madam Deputy Speaker, remains committed to addressing greenhouse gas emissions. As Mr Rattenbury has already indicated, we already have our own greenhouse gas reduction act and the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Regulation, which sets out targets for the achievement of a significant level of abatement, particularly between now and 2020.
In conclusion, this is a bill dealing in a practical way with a number of relatively minor but nonetheless significant matters. The bill will ensure that the planning, building and environment legislation remains as up to date, clear and effective as possible. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
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