My question without notice is directed to
the Hon Don Harwin.
Minister, my office has received correspondence
from Mr Chris Cummins, Managing Director of
Breakout River Meats in Cowra.
Minister, this rural business owner says his
energy bill is increasing by $1.2 million
or nearly 100% this year because of increased
demand and reduced supply of electricity generation.
Since it will only take four to five years
to build a new high energy low emissions power
station in the Hunter region to improve baseload
generation, why can't we start construction
now?
It's the 
politics of the possible not the bullshit
that you put out.
Order!
I call the Hon Robert Borsak to order for
the first time.
I've been waiting on that one.
Let's not make it two.
Minister, you have the call.
Ah... look...
I thank the ah...
Hon Robert Borsak for his question and undoubtedly
the issue of electricity prices is of very significant,
not only to business customers but residential
costumers as well.
Um... ah... all across ah... this State and
of course in terms of residential customers
ah... with ah... energy rebates and in terms
of what's available for businesses we've also
responded in terms of announcements on energy
efficiency which are being um... overseen
by my ah... colleague ah... the Hon. ah...
Gabrielle Upton in her capacity as Minister
for the Environment.
Ah... the Office of Energy and Heritage has
actually ah... um... had um... responsibility
for energy efficiency programs and as part
of the energy affordability package that was
announced by the Premier there are some very
specific ah... ah... very specific assist...
forms of assistance that are being looked
at ah... to help small business.
Now ah... if I heard correctly he was talking
Mr President about a meat company.
Is that right?
A meat company.
[interjection]: In Cowra.
Ah... and one of the critical things ah...
that ah... that the energy efficiency um...
program is um... looking at is the capacity
to ah... replace energy inefficient appliances
such as cool rooms and ah... and and the like
with more efficient appliances and more efficient
facilities.
In fact the day after the Premier and I and
Minister for Upton made the announcement ah...
we ah... in fact visited ah... a somewhat
smaller operation than no doubt the one that
the Hon Robert Borsak was talking about.
[interjection]: It's in the seat of Cootamundra.
Ah...
Bresnahans ah... ah...
Bresnahans in Mortdale which is ah... employs
ah... a significant number of ah... ah...of
people from memory I think it's 16 between
16 and 20.
Ah... and what we have announced in terms
of energy assistance is directly ah... ah...
directly of interest to businesses like his.
Now, in terms of ah... the ah... ah... ultra
super critical coal fired um... ah... power
station ah... that the ah...
Hon Member is talking about.
Um... be assured our that the New South Wales
Government is working to deliver a secure,
reliable, affordable, and affordable energy
future for this State.
In achieving this, the door should be open
to all technologies.
This should include the sorts of stations
that he's talking about with carbon capture
and storage as long as the technology can
be shown to help the transition ah... that
we're going ah... through at the to a new
energy future.
We have a National Energy Market and support
for investment in new generation technology
should be led and coordinated at the National
level.
I've been quite clear about that all along.
But these are decisions for the private sector,
that is the policy of this Government, they're
not decisions for Government.
The market is sending clear price signals
ah... that would be aided by sensible national
reform.
That will allow the private sector to choose
the right investments and the right ah...
technologies.
I'm working with other jurisdictions through
the COAG energy council to achieve ah... this
national reform and I hope that we will have
an outcome as soon as possible.
