Thursday, 3 August 2023

Bills

Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023

Second reading

Debate resumed on motion of Lily D’Ambrosio:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Daniela DE MARTINO (Monbulk) (10:06): Here I am to resume what I began yesterday. Just picking up, I was discussing automatic circuit reclosers, which reduce the likelihood of ignition on bare-wire single-wire earth return powerlines by nearly half under worst-case bushfire risk conditions. The entire Victorian SWER network, which is 30,000 kilometres, is now protected with this new generation technology.

Another measure we have undertaken is rapid earth fault current limiters, REFCLs, which are life-saving smart technology. They act as a giant safety switch when powerlines come into contact with vegetation, which reduces the risk of bushfires igniting and keeps communities safe. I actually watched a YouTube video of it, and you can see the difference between the new technology – the second it contacts the ground no ignition occurs – and the old technology, which is instant fire. The difference that this makes with established technology is huge when it comes to safety. The technology has been reducing the risk of bushfires starting from multiwire powerlines across more than 31,000 kilometres, or half the network in Victoria. They are 10 times more effective in reducing bushfire risk than the previous best practice safety infrastructure, so we now have robust safety practices and requirements across the traditional supply grid. The work in this regard is to be commended. The challenge today for us all, which this bill addresses, is to create legislation which addresses new technologies and energy generation taking off around the state as we work towards net zero emissions by 2045.

It is exciting that Victoria is leading the charge – pun intended – not only across our nation but also in the world when it comes to fast energy transition. You could say we are powering ahead when it comes to household solar energy production from nearly 250,000 homes and the installation of the Victorian Big Battery – Queensland can keep its Big Pineapple – the largest battery south of the equator. We will be producing 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040, and because we are charging ahead in this space, we are the leaders in our nation when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions reductions. That is something of which we should all be incredibly proud – what an achievement.

Net zero by 2045, brought forward by five years, is a terrific target, which we are well on the path to achieving. Good news stories abound in Victoria when it comes to energy and the progress we are making, but it is imperative that legislation keeps up with these changes and ensures that safety remains paramount across the industry no matter how new or otherwise or the type of energy production. We need to give the regulator, Energy Safe Victoria, new tools to ensure safety across new energy technologies, and that is precisely what this bill aims to achieve. We have seen recent examples, which a number of my colleagues in this place have discussed, where the 2018 Terang and Garvoc fires, as mentioned by so many, were found to be caused by the clashing of high-voltage powerlines. Six thousand hectares of land and property were destroyed, and this was found to be caused by Powercor.

It has been raised here, but I think it is important to reiterate, that the fine imposed by the court of a mere $130,000 was unacceptably low, and yet it was all that the court could impose as per the legislation. Understandably the community – those who were watching, those who were affected – considered it completely insufficient. In our current regime the penalties simply do not align with the potential implications to life, to property and to the environment, which may result from a failure in fulfilling safety obligations. It is currently 1500 penalty units. Such relatively low penalties do undermine the intent of the legislation. This bill will significantly increase them to 9000 penalty units for body corporates. That is a significant increase. In addition to increasing penalties, the bill will also address the limitations Energy Safe Victoria has in regulating new energy generation and infrastructure.

In 2021 there were two significant fires which occurred at the Victorian Big Battery and the Cohuna solar farm. Energy Safe Victoria was unable to proactively regulate these sites and could only intervene once the fires had occurred. I think it is fairly safe to say, and I do not think anyone would challenge this, that prevention is far better than cure. The bill will empower Energy Safe Victoria to do just that. They will be able to get out there, ascertain risks and have the power to compel companies to actually take safety seriously, and that is precisely what we expect and what Victorians expect. We know that energy production is vital. We all need it – everyone needs to turn on the lights, heat the hot water and cook the food – but we want to ensure that it is within the safest parameters possible.

There have been significant changes with the energy sector, as we are well aware. It is moving away from having a small number of large-scale facilities, which in the past have been owned and operated by a small number of companies, towards a much more decentralised and widely distributed electricity generation industry. This is exciting and it is promising. It is the way of the future, and given our goal towards net zero, it means that will become a reality. The exponential growth in these new technologies, though, has exposed critical gaps with the current energy safety framework, and that is what this bill is going to address.

By giving Energy Safe Victoria the capacity to deal with the modern challenges emerging and new styles and types of electricity safety management plans, I can then assure my community of Monbulk that, as far as is reasonable, current and future networks, no matter what their scale, no matter what their configuration, will have mitigated safety risks which will be regularly reviewed and updated. These measures and the other amendments proposed in this bill, which update legislation which is nearly a quarter of a century old, bring bushfire planning more to the fore. It also requires nominated owners and operators to update their plans on a five-year cycle, all to the satisfaction of Energy Safe Victoria.

As I said yesterday, we can appreciate that electricity generated by nature in the form of lightning is well beyond our control. We can only respond to that when it strikes. But with the energy that we generate, be it through electricity or be it through gas, it is completely incumbent upon us to mitigate those risks and those hazards as much as is practically possible. The technologies emerging also allow for greater safety enhancement. But it is up to us, it is incumbent upon us as a government, to ensure that the regulations are there which compel those who are generating power to do so in the safest manner possible – to not cut corners, to not cut costs in the pursuit of profits, but to exercise their obligations to ensure that we do not have bushfires that start because the technology has not been employed to prevent them from occurring. As I say, as the member for Monbulk, we are all very alive to the fact that bushfires can – and they will – come again, as they have in the past. So I commend this bill in its entirety to the house, and I thank the Minister for Energy and Resources for bringing it to us all.

Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (10:14): It is a pleasure to rise to speak on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023 and to follow my colleague over there the member for Monbulk and hear her talk so passionately about the importance of safety in her community and talk with real, lived experience about what that is like, whether it is bushfires or thunderstorms and major storms, which we know due to climate change we will potentially be facing in the future. I think the member for Monbulk put it really well in saying that when it comes to companies who really have a monopoly in this state when it comes to the supply of electricity and gas, we need to reduce their ability to cut costs and increase profits at the expense of community and community safety. That is a very important reason why bills like the one coming before the house today are so very important.

I know through lived experience how important it is to have regulation in this space, having spent most of my working life working for distribution and transmission network service providers in this state and across this country. It is important that legislation and regulation keep up with changing technology but also that we increasingly have an awareness of safety in those communities and the impacts of climate change that they face year upon year. It is important that our laws and regulations are able to hold those sorts of monopoly businesses to account. I do not think there would be anyone in this house that would argue that those companies really have in the past had a tendency to put profit before people. It is very, very important that we ensure that the public is safe from dangerous things happening when it comes to electricity and even the lack of electricity supply in this state.

The purpose of the bill that we are debating today and yesterday is to give our government greater control over enforcing energy safety, especially when it comes to new technologies. Time and time again I have stood in this place and talked about the need to control energy safety when it comes to new technologies, because this is a government that has been really intent on recognising legislative gaps in this state and bringing forward bills to close those gaps but also to keep up with technology and keep up with community expectations. I think that is a sign of a truly great government but also a minister who is constantly looking for ways to improve energy, the supply of energy and even the safety around energy supply here in this state. Importantly, this bill provides much-needed improvements to the enforcement and compliance powers of Energy Safe Victoria, who is indeed the key regulator in this space that is responsible for ensuring that major electricity, gas and pipeline companies operate and continue to operate in a manner that is safe and that minimises risk to the public and their property.

We do know that Victoria is at the forefront of developments when it comes to renewable energy and renewable technology. As a member who is standing here in their fifth year since being elected to Parliament and elected to government in 2018, the amount of bills that have come before this house relating to energy has just been absolutely incredible. I think about my ability to say that, having worked in the industry for such a long time. There has been such a need for legislative and policy reform in this space. It is outstanding that it feels like every other sitting week we are standing here talking about energy, and we are able to reiterate the things that we have done but also the pathway we are still on to amend legislation and improve policy around energy, energy supply and public safety here in this state. It is a true testament to the minister, and I can wholeheartedly stand here and congratulate her.

Of course these changes only help to cement Victoria as a national leader in renewable energy regulation and investment. In fact I am here again standing and saying that we are leading one of the fastest energy transitions in the world. That is something everyone in this state and everyone in this house – I know that they do on this side of the chamber – can feel incredibly proud about. Last week’s announcement about phasing out gas in newly built homes from next year is an example of how far we have come in setting up a renewable energy grid that is strong enough to withstand new technologies and new and emerging challenges like the challenges we are facing around climate change. We are setting up a renewable electricity grid that is strong enough to withstand those challenges now and into the future.

In the last eight years we have more than tripled the share of renewable technology in generating power, and we have installed the largest big battery in the Southern Hemisphere That is a real achievement. But I have to say, as the previous member for Tarneit, I feel particularly proud that Tarneit was able to get their own neighbourhood battery. I saw some photos on the new member for Tarneit’s Facebook page recently, and I was pleased as punch to see that that neighbourhood battery in the heart of the electorate of Tarneit is not just a freestanding battery, with no beautiful artistic mural display as I have seen in other parts of this state, but that the battery has a beautiful mural attached to it, which I know that community would really welcome. It is the small touches like that on those smaller projects, but still very impactful, that help bring the community together to celebrate things like neighbourhood batteries. I also say we should be celebrating that we have installed the largest big battery in the Southern Hemisphere. That is a real achievement.

It is energising, and I feel particularly energised just standing here talking about it. Not only did we smash our 2020 renewable energy target of 25 per cent, but we have now put ourselves in a position to achieve more ambitious targets. We know we can do it. We meet them early on, and we know we can achieve more. That is going to be with a renewable energy target, including 95 per cent by 2035. That is huge – nation-leading. As we talked about during the election, every week here in this place and most certainly in my community – if I am not reminding them, they are reminding me – the biggest driver towards meeting this 95 per cent target of course is bringing back the SEC.

One of the benefits of investing in renewable technologies is that we can learn and, most importantly, be able to develop new ways to harness technology to generate energy. For example, in October last year the Minister for Energy and Resources agreed, as part of a national accord to amendments in the National Gas Law, to include new sources such as hydrogen gas and biomethane, which is a new biofuel. This is just one example of the way in which our laws have been updated to reflect these changes. We also have the potential to experiment with things such as tidal and wave energy from our shores, geothermal in the ground and even forms of hydro-electricity. I remember a time working at the Australian Energy Regulator when we were talking with engineers about the future horizon of renewable energy and what solar panels would look like – ‘Imagine if every home had a solar panel on the roof and what that would do to the grid and what that would do for climate change’. Now that is kind of second nature. It is expected, right? You have solar panels, and they are on the roof of your home not only lowering your electricity bill, but you are actually doing really great things for the environment.

When we think about things like tidal and wave energy from our shores, that geothermal in the ground I talked about and even forms of hydro-electricity, sometimes I think it is so far on the horizon, in the future, but really we will see that future come to fruition if we continue to invest in industries, update our regulations in law and make sure that there is energy supply but also community public safety. We always want the public to come along on that journey and invest and celebrate renewable technology as we continue to tackle climate change and the rising prices of utility bills and electricity bills.

This is a really important bill – I mean, I could talk about this all day. But in the 20 seconds that I do have left, I want to congratulate the minister for putting forward, again, a really great bill before this house. The work that the minister does is absolutely remarkable as one of our hardest working ministers and as part of this very hardworking Andrews Labor government. I commend the bill to the house.

Steve McGHIE (Melton) (10:24): I want to acknowledge all the previous contributions made by members on this side in regard to this bill, and of course I rise to contribute to the incredible work done by Minister D’Ambrosio and her team on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023. As I say, I acknowledge all the contributions that have already been made. It is a highly technical and complex bill that brings together several large pieces of existing legislation and brings them firmly into the 21st century. It is also a critical piece of legislation that will shape the future of energy safety here in Victoria, and it certainly builds upon other energy bills that have been passed here in this house, as the member for Laverton alluded to, and I thank her for doing that.

Of course at the election last year we committed to a comprehensive review of energy safety for the long term, but these proposed reforms are a good first step in that, representing a range of quick wins. The bill will also ensure safety for workers and communities as we continue with our journey and transition to a renewable energy future. In regard to the safety of workers, I will come to an example a bit later in my contribution, and hopefully I can get to it. It does date back over 100 years, but it just goes to show the work that has had to be done over many, many decades in regard to worker safety.

We have helped nearly a quarter of a million Victorian households install solar panels on their roofs, reducing bills and giving them control over their energy. We have installed the Victorian Big Battery, and it is a great achievement. It is the largest one in the Southern Hemisphere. Through these actions we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than any other state in Australia since 2014. We have comfortably surpassed our 2020 renewable energy target of 20 per cent, and we increased our 2030 renewable energy target from 50 per cent to 65 per cent. We have set a 2035 target of 95 per cent. Of course we have brought forward our net zero emissions target from 2050 to 2045, which will require the transition of our entire energy system, and we can see the great work that is being done there, including in transport and industry, but our energy safety legislation has not kept pace with that. We have seen the take-up of EV cars and things like that and the change in the attitude of our society. This creates many more jobs within our communities. It creates cheaper energy and cleaner air, and that is exactly what we are trying to do.

We are leading one of the fastest energy transitions in the world, and as we embrace renewable energy, it is imperative that we prioritise the safety of our communities and our workers. The bill aims to amend the Electricity Safety Act 1998, the Gas Safety Act 1997 and the Pipelines Act 2005 with the primary goal of strengthening our energy safety compliance framework. Through this we are addressing the energy safety legislation framework to improve community safety and regulation of new and emerging safety risks, particularly as they relate to emerging technologies like solar farms, batteries and wind farms. We see many, many wind farms in particular in my area out in the west popping up everywhere. They are a great thing, and they are quite a majestic thing to look at as you drive along the highway, even though some people do complain about them.

One significant aspect of the legislation is the introduction of obligations for certain electricity installations, ensuring that they pay levies to Energy Safe Victoria and implement enhanced safety measures. These obligations will be comparable to those already imposed on major distribution and transmission companies. We are increasing civil penalties up to sixfold to better reflect the potential consequences of safety failures, such as the devastating St Patrick’s Day fires around Terang and Garvoc, and I know that has been alluded to by previous speakers. Those fires were caused by high-voltage powerlines clashing, resulting in a big investigation that showed negligence and deliberate safety protocols being ignored. The fires were devastating for a lot of people and their livelihoods. Of course there was a great penalty that came out of the investigation, and I will allude to that a bit later. ESV plays a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of our energy landscape. It is Victoria’s energy safety regulator, and it develops and maintains a robust energy safety framework for our state.

Of course traditionally the focus was major electricity and gas pipeline companies. We are seeing that landscape change dramatically and rapidly. ESV ensures that those organisations and corporations that fall within their scope and regulatory jurisdiction conduct their businesses safely, and that is what we need to do. We need a regulator that will actually regulate rather than just go by name. They will manage their assets responsibility, these companies, and minimise the risk to the public and to property to the best of their abilities and extent of their reach.

One crucial responsibility that ESV has got is to license electrical workers and to ensure the competence and knowledge of these workers. They have recently introduced a continuing professional development program that equips all electrical workers with up-to-date knowledge of new legislation, standards and technologies, which will be integral as our energy system continues to expand, develop and change over years to come.

There is a tenacious effort to educate the community about energy safety and holding duty holders accountable. The ESV has achieved some pretty good results in that area. This year we have witnessed a significant reduction in serious injury related to energy incidents and a notable decrease in ground fires from energy assets, and that is exactly what we want, particularly if we are going into such a dangerous fire period this year, probably, with what we have seen in the Northern Hemisphere. That heat has got to go somewhere. It could be quite frightening if it might come this way. There is a lot of undergrowth out there at the moment, and it will not take long to dry up, so we should be very cautious about what happens going into this summer season.

It is important to say to the house that ESV will continue to play a vital role in ensuring the safety of our energy landscape. This is especially crucial when we embark on achieving our ambitious renewable energy and climate targets. With their diligence and dedication, we can confidently pursue our renewable energy goals while keeping all Victorians safe. We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of ESV. I want to make special mention of their commitment to safety, to education and to accountability, which has made a significant positive impact on our energy sector.

The legislation, while it does empower ESV with stronger investigation powers, enables them to seize items for a longer duration to conduct more thorough investigations into faulty or dangerous products, and it rectifies any loopholes in the current framework. We will keep building upon the strength of what this legislation provides for.

This bill represents a fundamental step in safeguarding our communities and our workers as we navigate this technology transformation. It is a dedication to us delivering cleaner air, more jobs and cheaper energy. But of course none of this can be done without prioritising the safety of communities and of workers, and that should be at the forefront of all of this development and evolution in the energy industry. As a result of the accelerated rate of the rollout of new and emerging technologies, the appetite of the public to embrace these changes, the rapid adoption of new technologies and the exponential growth of these technologies, updating legislation is absolutely necessary.

I know, with very little time left on the clock, I am not going to get my story about worker safety. It was quite an interesting story dating back to the First World War, when young women called the ‘radium girls’ were poisoned by radium while painting the faces of watches for soldiers. These young women were contaminated with radium. I think 11 of them died. They were young; they were in their 20s. We do not want to see that continue. I do commend this bill to the house.

Michael O’BRIEN (Malvern) (10:34): I move:

That the debate be adjourned so that the house can proceed forthwith to debate motion 37 on the notice paper standing in my name.

Motion 37 on the notice paper is a very important one, and it should take priority over continuing to debate the bill currently before the house. Motion 37 reads as follows:

That this house condemns the appalling conduct of the members for Bayswater, Narre Warren North and Hastings and member for Southern Metropolitan Ryan Batchelor MLC for their politically motivated attempt to smear the Hon. Robert Redlich AM KC, former IBAC Commissioner, at a hearing of the Integrity and Oversight Committee.

Robert Redlich is ‘one of Victoria’s most eminent and well-respected jurists’. Who said so? None other than the Labor government themselves when they appointed him as IBAC Commissioner. That is a direct quote from the press release of the then Special Minister of State the Honourable Gavin Jennings on 15 November 2017.

In my nearly 17 years in this place I have seen a lot of robust exchanges, I have seen a lot of robust quizzing at committees, I have seen a lot of back and forth, but never have I witnessed an attempt to smear such a respected and eminent Victorian as I witnessed at Monday’s Integrity and Oversight Committee hearing. There was absolutely appalling conduct. The former IBAC Commissioner was brought before the committee to discuss matters that went to the integrity of IBAC and the integrity of the IOC itself, and what happened was in fact members of the IOC proved Mr Redlich’s points. They proved his points. I do not think that the members concerned actually had the wit to draft the questions themselves. I think they were cat’s paws and minions and sock puppets of the Premier’s office. That is what they were.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just before the minister speaks, I am going to pre-empt this debate. The debate here is about the importance of the adjournment that you are raising, not about the motion itself. I am going to try and do my best to keep us to the point. Is there a further point of order, Minister?

Mary-Anne Thomas: Yes, there is. On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, this procedural motion is not an opportunity for the member for Malvern to disparage or impugn members on this side of the house, which is what he is attempting to do.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister. I would also add that imputations on members are disorderly. Let us all try and remain within the rules.

Michael O’BRIEN: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Of course imputations are disorderly, other than by substantive motion, which is what I am proposing we debate, because yes, there are imputations contained in this motion, and they are deserved imputations. But let me return to the question of why it is so important that this matter be dealt with today.

Victoria is currently entering its eighth month without a permanent IBAC Commissioner. Mr Redlich’s term expired at the end of December last year. Victoria is now into August. We do not have a permanent IBAC Commissioner, we have an acting commissioner. Why can’t the government get it right? Why can’t the government make an appointment of an eminent Victorian in eight months? You have to ask: what sort of eminent Victorian would put themselves up for such an important role when they saw the way Mr Redlich was treated by those Labor members of the IOC on Monday? What eminent Victorian would put themselves forward to be traduced and attacked and smeared in such a way? We need to resolve this now, because this house needs to send a message to any potential candidates for the position of IBAC Commissioner that this house will not stand for the appalling treatment that was meted out to Mr Redlich on Monday. We need to do it now because there could be some very eminent, respected, independent people who would do an outstanding job as Victoria’s IBAC Commissioner who will not put themselves forward after seeing the way Labor members behaved on Monday.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the member is defying your ruling in that he is drifting off the procedural motion.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister. The member was coming back to the importance of his adjournment.

Michael O’BRIEN: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. This is why it is important that this house immediately proceed to motion 37, because prospective IBAC commissioners need to know if they are going to be traduced the way Mr Redlich was on Monday, or if this house is going to take a stand now and say, ‘We will respect people in the role of IBAC Commissioner. We will not try and smear them as bullies. We will not try and smear them as having participated in secret payouts. We will respect them for their role, which is to uncover corruption.’ Goodness knows, there is a lot of corruption in this Andrews Labor government that needs to be uncovered, and it should be happening now.

Anthony CARBINES (Ivanhoe – Minister for Police, Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Racing) (10:40): I rise to oppose the procedural motion put forward by the member for Malvern, who, along with most of his colleagues, has failed to engage this week with important legislation before this house for the consideration of all members and on behalf of all Victorians. We have seen with the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Amendment Bill 2023 a failure by those opposite to proceed to engage with and debate these important matters of reform of our resources policies as well as our energy policies. It is a bill that seeks to improve risk management for minerals and quarry operations in the regulatory framework in our state. Those opposite have failed to engage in policy debate on these matters. They seek to avoid engagement on policy matters and legislation in this house.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, on relevance in relation to the procedural motion, the minister is referring to a bill that the government has chosen not to even bring on yet. I hope that assists the minister in his contribution.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am not quite sure what the point of order was there, but if it is on relevance, if we could all stay to the matter of the adjournment procedure ahead of us, that would be appreciated.

Anthony CARBINES: There is a range of bills before the house this week on the government business program, and those opposite seek to interrupt debate on legislation in this place with their procedural motions instead of debating legislation that is part of the government business program outlined in the house for this week. Those opposite continue to choose to disrupt and refuse to engage in debate on these bills. The energy bill as well – we have seen in the current debate on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023 those opposite refusing to engage on that bill and refusing to put forward speakers on that legislation. It has been adopted into the government business program this week, and those opposite refuse to engage on those matters. They are almost on strike.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, on relevance, this is not an opportunity for the minister to embarrass the Premier for not making a contribution on any bill in this term. It is not an opportunity for him to do that.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I am going to take it that was on relevance. Points of order are not an opportunity to have your own debate. I bring the minister back to the adjournment procedure before the house.

Anthony CARBINES: The procedural motion put by the member for Malvern is not supported by the government. It is not supported by very many members in this place. It is again an effort to smear the government, to smear members of this place, to refuse to engage in the government business program that has been adopted by this house this week. He has refused to engage in those matters. He seeks constantly to smear members of this place, members of this house. We have taken points of order that have been upheld in relation to those matters already in relation to the procedural debate that we have had so far.

I would encourage all members to get back to debating matters that relate to the government business program that has been adopted for this week. We are currently in the midst of a debate on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill. It is an important and critical bill for the people of Victoria. It is a bill that should continue to be debated in this place, and we would encourage those opposite to put forward some speakers to engage in the debate and to demonstrate their support for energy safety and the protection of people here in Victoria. They have failed to do that. They have sought to wipe away and lack engagement in relation to this energy safety bill. It is a critical matter for all Victorians. Those opposite have not chosen to speak on these matters. They have failed and they have sought to disrupt legislation and debate on these matters that have been adopted in the government business program this week.

We also know that if a debate and discussion on other matters is wanted, there are appropriate forms of the house with which to do it. This is not one of them. The member for Malvern has been in this place long enough to know that is the case, and he is choosing to again disrupt the government business program. They are serial pests when it comes to choosing to do this. They go about this path each and every time because they fail to engage in matters that are of importance to Victorians.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, on relevance, this is not an opportunity for the minister to embarrass the Leader of the House for spending more time on motions this week than the government bills. It is not an opportunity to do that.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Again, I take it that is on relevance, and the minister will continue on the adjournment.

Anthony CARBINES: There seems to be a failure to understand that it is the government business program that gets debated in this place, it is the government business program that has been adopted for this week and it is the government business program that will continue to prevail in the house, not only today but for the remainder of this week. That includes returning to the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill, and I commend that bill to the house. I reject the procedural motion from the member for Malvern. We look forward to getting back to the government business program and debating energy safety matters for all Victorians.

Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (10:45): The minister that has just spoken is misguided on so many levels it is hard to know where to start. We have a procedural motion before us, and that is why the debate should be adjourned. We have been debating the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023, and we have put up quite a number of speakers on that. But strangely this is day three, and it is unusual –

A member: How many? You don’t even know how many.

Cindy McLEISH: I can tell you, it’s eight. This is unusual because we have done it on Tuesday, we have done it on Wednesday and we have done it on Thursday. The minister referred to the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Amendment Bill 2023, which the government have not even brought on yet, and we are very keen to speak to that. However, the reason this debate should be adjourned is because there is a matter that should take precedence, a matter of high priority, and that is item 37 on the notice paper, put forward by the member for Malvern. He moved:

That this house condemns the appalling conduct of the members for Bayswater, Narre Warren North and Hastings and member for Southern Metropolitan Ryan Batchelor MLC for their politically motivated attempt to smear the Hon. Robert Redlich AM KC, former IBAC Commissioner, at a hearing of the Integrity and Oversight Committee.

The behaviour in that committee was absolutely appalling, and it should be condemned. We should have the opportunity to debate that motion and to finish debating the energy legislation, because we have been on that for three days – it is the third day. What we have here is a pattern of behaviour of this government, who want to smear and want to protect their own backs because they have made so many errors of judgement here.

Now, Robert Redlich himself, the former IBAC Commissioner, came with an impeccable reputation as an eminent Victorian. What is really important here is the future of IBAC, the future of the Parliament and what that is going to look like because, as has already been said by the member for Malvern, we know that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. We need to appoint a permanent IBAC Commissioner.

Belinda Wilson interjected.

Cindy McLEISH: We have had an IBAC Commissioner of such reputation smeared by the member for Narre Warren North over there – who continues to interject – and her behaviour was nothing short of appalling. She is continuing to behave like that. We have –

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, once again I ask that you remind those on the other side of the house that this is a narrow procedural debate and is not an opportunity to smear the reputations of those on this side of the house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister. I would encourage the member for Eildon to come back to the arguments for the adjournment of debate, not debate the motion.

Cindy McLEISH: Absolutely, because what is important when we debate this procedural motion is to park the energy legislation – the reasons why we need to park that legislation and the reasons we need to move on to this motion. What we have also seen in this Parliament is a shift from debating bills to debating motions. Every week we are debating a number of motions, and so whilst we have engaged in the debating of the motions, we think it is only reasonable that when we have a motion of such importance on the paper, it too should be debated. That is why I think it is so important that we adjourn the energy legislation debate – which we have done on Tuesday and Wednesday and again today – and we move on to a matter of higher priority.

I know that the energy legislation is based on the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommendations about energy safety, which the government actually failed to implement, which we put in when we were in government, and now this government has finally started to realise. I am quite interested that it is all of the city members that have been debating it. If they have got all their city members debating it, either bring on all of the country and regional members to do so or park it and go on to this very important motion that we have put on.

Now, what is also important about why we should come to item 37 on the notice paper is that the reputation of IBAC is at stake here. To encourage somebody to put their hand up to take on that important role, we need to make sure they are protected.

Paul EDBROOKE (Frankston) (10:50): How can I follow that, member for Point Cook? I am happy to rise to speak on this procedural motion, because this is about those opposite, who have run out of steam. They have run out of anything to say about the bill at hand.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, although it pains me to interject immediately with a point of order, the member has in his first sentence misunderstood why he is rising to speak.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member had just commenced and is expected to debate the adjournment motion.

Paul EDBROOKE: Why do you have to helicopter-parent Parliament? Honestly. This is a smear campaign. It is very obvious. The committee in question had an independent chair who did not rule any questions out of order. In fact it was a Liberal deputy chair who did not rule any questions out of order. We should not be deviating from the government business program at all. The government business program is democratically voted on.

We also heard the previous speaker talking about priorities, about how the bill that we are speaking on at the moment is not a priority. Well, to the 173 people who died on Black Saturday and their families, I would say, it is a priority. Energy safety is a priority. Bringing renewables into the future and making sure they are safe and having legislation that is catching up with that is actually a priority for members on this side of the house. I am sure that there are some people over on that side of the house wondering at the moment why they are trying to initiate a stunt instead of talking about really, really important legislation that affects Victorians.

This legislation we are talking about, which those opposite want to deviate from debating at the moment for a stunt, is actually unbelievably important. We have seen the results when private energy providers do not prioritise safety, and that is what this bill is about. There are plenty of people on this side of the house that still wish to speak on this very important bill. If the people on the other side of the house have, like I said, chosen not to speak on this, they need to talk to their constituents about that and they need to face their constituents about that.

Like I said, motion 37 is more about smearing members of this Parliament, and to me that is not a priority. Our priority is being in here today and legislating for Victorians, not smearing members of Parliament in this house. I would like to see members on the opposite side actually get up and speak on this bill and have a read of it – read the second-reading speech, in fact, and know what it is about. I certainly know what motion 37 is about, and I do not believe that is a priority today. I think we should be sticking to the government business program.

As I said, there are plenty of people on this side of the house that would like to speak on this very, very important priority. We have seen the tragic results of a lack of safety in the energy industry. Now we are rolling out the largest renewable energy portfolio in the nation, and you could say it is recognised internationally as well. We need to keep up with that. If we do not keep up with that, we might well have another tragedy that is not just about a worker or one person in the community; it could be about a whole community. It could be about a whole town. It is very important that we speak on that and remain on this bill.

As I said, people on this side of the house are very keen – regional members and metro members – to speak on this bill and not participate in stunts that are being brought on by those opposite. Motion 37 might be important to them – calling out members from this side of the house and trying to make things personal – but it is important that we stick to the government business program, which was voted on in this house. It was voted on in this house, and we should stick to that. There is no reason at all to deviate from the government business program.

Tim READ (Brunswick) (10:54): The house has a decision to make as to whether to support the motion from the member for Malvern to interrupt debate on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023. I appreciate the importance of voluntary electricity safety management schemes for operators of complex electrical installations. However, when we weigh that up against the importance of holding committee members to account and having committee members answerable to this place for their choice of questions and their use of time before an expert witness to a committee inquiry in a public hearing, I do not think the decision before the house is that difficult. I believe that all of us should support this motion from the opposition to go into the conduct of the public hearing and question whether we handled it appropriately. I believe, as part of the committee, that we should be answerable to the house. I believe that we should respond to what is discussed in this motion and we should not run away from it. As important as the energy legislation amendment bill is, I believe that this matter is more important. It has been the subject of broad reporting in all of the main media outlets, and it is important for the government to read the room in the way that the opposition has, on this occasion, accurately done. I think therefore that the member for Malvern’s motion deserves support.

This is not just for the Integrity and Oversight Committee but any committee: when a committee is hearing from an expert witness it is important that we allow the witness to contribute the information that they are able to contribute without attempts to deflect and distract. If that has happened, then it is important that this house examine that. That is why I think it is appropriate that we should be doing this more often. We should be discussing committee business more often in this place. It happens very rarely. Rather than using the house’s time with legislation that is technical and that every party agrees with – no MP will be opposing this legislation as far as I know; it does not require a lengthy debate and will sail through the house on the voices – and rather than listening to the sounds of our own voices droning on about volts and amps, I think it is more appropriate that we all hold ourselves answerable to this chamber for our choice of how we use our time in front of expert witnesses who have a lot to contribute to this state in terms of critique on our integrity infrastructure. I think it is appropriate therefore to support this motion, and the Greens will be supporting this motion.

Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (10:58): I am very pleased to be rising today to contribute to the procedural motion, a motion that is seeking to disrupt the important work of this place and our legislative agenda and seeking to undermine the government business program that was put to a vote on Tuesday. We as the government put forward what was to be discussed this week. It was put to a vote, and we decided, as elected representatives of this place, what the government business program was. That is what we have been working through today. I must admit I was very surprised by the contribution by the member for Brunswick, standing up to support a Liberal motion – but then again, am I really surprised by him doing this? He is only a member of this place because he got up on Greens preferences. The Labor candidate for Brunswick Mike Williams –

Members interjecting.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the member has strayed somewhat from the debate. It is a tight procedural debate, and I would ask you to ask the member to come back to the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, it is very hard indeed to hear what the member for Wendouree is saying because of the endless shrieking from those on the other side of the house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister. I was about to say, following the member for Brighton’s point of order, that that may be the case, but it is very difficult to hear with the noise from both sides of the chamber. I would appreciate enough silence to hear the member continue on the adjournment procedure.

Juliana ADDISON: I will continue saying that the member for Brunswick is only here because he is here on Liberal preferences, and clearly we know where his bread is buttered.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: On the adjournment debate!

Juliana ADDISON: I want to be really, really clear, on the chair of the committee that is being discussed today, that it is actually the role of the chair of that committee –

Matthew Guy interjected.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bulleen!

Juliana ADDISON: to determine what questions are being asked. And if there are any questions that are deemed to be out of order, it is the role of the chair –

Matthew Guy interjected.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Bulleen can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Matthew Guy interjected.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Make it an hour.

Member for Bulleen withdrew from chamber.

Juliana ADDISON: Referring to the procedural matter put forward by the member for Malvern, perhaps he is actually reflecting on the poor chairing of that committee and reflecting on the chair of that committee rather than individual –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, this is not an opportunity for another attack from the government on another member. On relevance, frankly this is an appalling attack from another member of the government.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Thank you, member for Brighton. The member was getting close to imputations on members, which are disorderly. The member to continue on the reasons for the adjournment procedure.

Juliana ADDISON: Absolutely. As my father used to always say, double standards are better than no standards. Let me continue. What we are about today –

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Has the member concluded?

Juliana ADDISON: No, definitely not.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Then I would remind the member that reflections on the Chair are also disorderly.

Juliana ADDISON: No, the chair of that committee, not the Chair –

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Continue on the procedural debate – on thin ice.

Juliana ADDISON: Thank you very much for the opportunity, Deputy Speaker, and I apologise if there was any confusion that I was reflecting on your role, which I am very respectful of. I was merely talking about the chair of the committee that this motion is regarding. When we are talking about things –

Members interjecting.

Juliana ADDISON: Yes, I am very, very proud of my 48.5 per cent primary vote and the Liberal vote of 29 per cent in the seat of Wendouree – 29 per cent was your primary.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Brighton on a point of order, and I think I know where we are going.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, I would say to you that it is very difficult for the house to remain in order with the ongoing behaviour of the member. I would ask you to bring the member back to the question before the Chair.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. I uphold the point of order. The member to continue in the 15 seconds left on the reasons for the procedural debate.

Juliana ADDISON: I would really like to add, with my last moments, the importance of the government business program, the importance of the energy legislation and the importance of the minerals thing and say that we should not be smearing good members of this government.

Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (11:03): I seek, by leave, the opportunity to contribute on this, because the Nationals have not had the opportunity.

Leave refused.

Assembly divided on Michael O’Brien’s motion:

Ayes (27): Brad Battin, Jade Benham, Roma Britnell, Tim Bull, Martin Cameron, Annabelle Cleeland, Chris Crewther, Gabrielle de Vietri, Wayne Farnham, Sam Groth, Matthew Guy, Emma Kealy, Tim McCurdy, Cindy McLeish, James Newbury, Danny O’Brien, Michael O’Brien, Kim O’Keeffe, John Pesutto, Tim Read, Richard Riordan, Brad Rowswell, Ellen Sandell, David Southwick, Bill Tilley, Kim Wells, Jess Wilson

Noes (50): Juliana Addison, Jacinta Allan, Colin Brooks, Josh Bull, Anthony Carbines, Ben Carroll, Darren Cheeseman, Anthony Cianflone, Sarah Connolly, Chris Couzens, Jordan Crugnale,

Lily D’Ambrosio, Daniela De Martino, Steve Dimopoulos, Paul Edbrooke, Will Fowles, Matt Fregon, Ella George, Luba Grigorovitch, Katie Hall, Paul Hamer, Martha Haylett, Mathew Hilakari, Melissa Horne, Natalie Hutchins, Lauren Kathage, Sonya Kilkenny, Nathan Lambert, Gary Maas, Alison Marchant, Kathleen Matthews-Ward, Steve McGhie, John Mullahy, Tim Pallas, Danny Pearson, Pauline Richards, Michaela Settle, Ros Spence, Nick Staikos, Natalie Suleyman, Meng Heang Tak, Nina Taylor, Kat Theophanous, Mary-Anne Thomas, Emma Vulin, Iwan Walters, Vicki Ward, Dylan Wight, Gabrielle Williams, Belinda Wilson

Motion defeated.

Nina TAYLOR (Albert Park) (11:09): I am very pleased to speak on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023. At its core –

Cindy McLeish: On a point of order, Speaker, I do not think you were in the chamber listening before. During the last debate the last few minutes got quite raucous and there was an occasion when the Deputy Speaker had to stand on his feet, and during that time the member for Kororoit I noticed continued to wander around the chamber and not take her seat. So I thought this would be a good opportunity for you as the Speaker to perhaps counsel and remind many of the new members what it means and the significance of when the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker are on their feet. I notice that it has happened a few times in question time, and I thought this might be a good opportunity for you to provide some counsel to the newer members.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Eildon. Not just the new members – many of our ongoing members also seem to have forgotten the very significant ruling that when the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker are on their feet the house will be silent and members will resume their allocated seats.

Nina TAYLOR: At its core the bill will modernise Victoria’s energy safety legislative framework to improve community and worker safety, and on that note I just wanted to explore the drivers of this change. There are actually really positive drivers. There are some negatives that have to be overcome and hence legislative reform, but I did want to first speak to the positive drivers for reform in this space – namely, Victoria is leading one of the fastest energy transitions in the world, which is absolutely fantastic, but it is really, really necessary. We have more than tripled the share of renewables in power generation in just eight years. We have helped nearly a quarter of a million Victorian households install solar panels on their roofs, reducing bills and giving them control over their energy – that is, giving power back to the people. We held the Victorian renewable energy target auction, the country’s largest reverse auction for renewables, and we have installed the Victorian Big Battery, the largest – yes, the largest – in the Southern Hemisphere, and made Victoria the home of big batteries. We are really proud of that, but that is as a collective. When I am saying we are proud, we are proud as a state obviously, and through these actions we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than any other state in Australia since 2014. We are only just warming up, and that is also extremely dynamic and exciting.

Coming back to the point, when we are looking at the catalyst for these reforms we can see that with this transformation, this fundamental transformation of our energy market, it follows that technology has to keep up, and it is nothing short of the most fundamental technological transformation of our lifetime. It follows – so there is a further limb to that – that legislation and the regulatory framework have to keep up as well. That is certainly challenging but nothing that we shy away from in any way, shape or form. What I did want to speak to is that it does mean, when we are looking at the technological transformation and we think of the Labor Party, very much the core of our values is about looking at this transformation not only in terms of reducing emissions, because we have to obviously protect our climate and mitigate the impact of climate change, but also we are looking at cost, and we know that renewables certainly provide one of the cheapest forms of energy delivery on the planet but also cleaner air. Jobs, cheaper energy and cleaner air – it is a win–win–win. Tick, tick, tick.

We can see that the legislation is not where it needs to be, and hence we have got the reforms coming through. We are punching through these reforms in a very considered and diligent way here and now as we speak, even though I did hear in a previous debate that a member of the Greens political party did not think we should be talking about volts and other things. I was a little bit surprised because they sort of pick and choose when it suits them to care about the planet and these kinds of reforms, so that was a little bit interesting. Anyway, we will continue to deliver. We will continue to make the necessary legislative reforms and to roll out the necessary transformation of our energy sector. That is what we do. But to ensure that the safety of workers and community is maintained, our energy safety rules must keep pace with technology, and I think that is at the heart of these changes here.

My learned colleagues have already spoken to a number of the very serious incidents that have occurred. That is what I was referring to from the outset in terms of some of the negative incidents that have been a catalyst for and perhaps given a sense of urgency – it is real urgency – to these amendments. There will be progressive reform in this space, but of course we have to address the most acute and urgent amendments which need to be made. Two serious fires in 2021, at the Victorian Big Battery and the Cohuna solar farm, highlighted the limitations. Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) must regulate facilities such as solar farms and battery installations. I mean, it is just common sense. I do not think there is anything that is not perfectly understandable in this space. It is pragmatic. These amendments will align the energy safety obligations of renewable energy companies with those of traditional companies and strengthen the investigative and enforcement powers of the independent safety regulator, Energy Safe Victoria. That is certainly a net positive for our state.

I should say when we are looking at the progressive and proactive work of our government in recognising the need to ensure our energy safety rules are fit for purpose, the then Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change initiated an independent review of Victoria’s electricity and gas network safety framework back in 2017. This has been fully at the front of the mind of our government for some time. We know that we have to keep on. We have to work hard and keep progressing these reforms. It is necessary because technology is advancing at such a rapid pace.

Known as the Grimes review, it was established to consider the design and adequacy of the safety regulatory obligations, incentives and other arrangements. You can see the due diligence and care that has been taken by our government to make sure that these reforms are truly necessary but also reflect what is required and what the community expects. I think, again, there is that holistic approach of taking community with us but making sure that we act with due diligence. In 2018 the government supported in principle 42 of the 43 recommendations in the Independent Review of Victoria’s Electricity and Gas Network Safety Framework, the Grimes review, as I referred to earlier.

I did want to just speak to one of the interesting elements of this. When we are talking about oversight in particular, the bill will provide ESV with greater oversight and control over any changes to a facility’s safety management plan – again we can see that is absolutely pragmatic and critical in this space – and the ability to conduct full revisions of these plans every five years. I think that is perfectly acceptable and reasonable. It is right and proper, and it is certainly timely.

The amendments enhance the requirement for energy companies to preserve incident sites, because any delay in that regard in terms of the capacity of Energy Safe Victoria to intervene, prior to these reforms, certainly could compromise evidence. I am not making any allegations with that. We are just saying technically that would be one of the vulnerabilities prior to this very important and critical legislative reform. Energy companies will now have to preserve the site of a serious electrical or gas incident until ESV directs otherwise. The bill will also greatly strengthen ESV’s investigation powers, including the preservation of serious electrical or gas incident sites, and align the period for which ESV can retain seized items. We can see that it is a very commonsense reform, and it is really about offering better protection for all Victorians and making sure that we truly keep pace, in terms of legislative reform, with technological advancements in this state.

Josh BULL (Sunbury) (11:19): I am really pleased this morning to have the opportunity to contribute to debate on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023 and to follow on from the very fine contribution from the member for Albert Park, a local member who is incredibly passionate in this space and is somebody within the government who each and every day, for her constituency and her community, gets on and gets things done. We know of course that legislation within this space that goes to tackling our energy needs, the needs of a growing Victoria, a growing community, is fundamentally important. A creative, dynamic and innovative series of policies and initiatives that go to providing energy in the most effective and most efficient way is something that this government will continue to deliver. It builds upon a very strong suite of reforms, of projects, of policies and of initiatives that we have had ever since we have had the opportunity to be on the government benches. Since November 2014 we have continued to bring those through the Parliament and deliver at each and every budget and within local communities, making sure that we are working with households, we are working with businesses and we are working with all of those within our community to drive down the cost of energy, to ensure that we are supporting households to meet those growing demands but also to create what is a safe network.

This bill modernises Victoria’s energy safety legislative framework to improve community and worker safety and creates more effective and more targeted regulation of new and emerging safety risks that are posed by emerging technologies as we undertake a rapid transition to renewable energy. Other members have spoken in their contributions, and I certainly have spoken on previous bills about this government’s sustained investment, our targeted approach, to ensure that we are investing in renewables. We know of course that Victoria is leading one of the fastest energy transitions in the world, we know that we have more than tripled the share of renewables in power generation in just eight years, and we know that this has assisted or helped nearly 250,000 Victorian households to install solar panels on their roofs, reducing bills and giving control over energy needs. We know that the Victorian renewable energy auction, the country’s largest reverse auction for renewables, is incredibly important, as is the installation of the Big Battery, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere – and made in Victoria – in ensuring that we are continuing to put more supply into the market but, most importantly, supply that is renewable. These actions and a whole range of other actions have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by more than any other state in Australia since 2014.

This work needs to be sustained, it needs to be consistent, and that is why both through this piece of legislation and also through those massive investments that make such a difference to investing in renewables we have surpassed our 2020 renewable energy target of 20 per cent, have increased our 2030 renewable energy target from 50 per cent to 65 per cent and have set a 2035 target of 95 per cent. This is backed by separate targets for offshore wind and energy storage. We know that we will have at least 2 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2032, 4 gigawatts by 2035 and 9 gigawatts by 2040. This is about making sure that we are driving down the cost of providing energy to local communities, to those households and businesses that I mentioned earlier but also, critically, doing what is important for the planet. I want to take the opportunity to thank and acknowledge all of those that work within the sector – all of those who each and every day work hard not just to support our communities with energy supply, energy needs, but to ensure that they are playing a vital role, a pivotal role, in investing in technology and making sure that we are meeting those targets if not bettering those targets. This is where we as a state do our best – when we are nation leading, when we are delivering those reforms and those initiatives that make such a difference.

We know that thus far, recognising the need to ensure that our energy safety rules were fit for purpose, the minister initiated the independent review of Victoria’s electricity and gas network safety framework in 2017, the Grimes review, established to consider the design and adequacy of the safety regulatory obligations, incentives and other arrangements. Moving to 2018, the government supported in principle 42 of the 43 recommendations made by the independent review of Victoria’s electricity and gas network safety framework. Of these 42 recommendations half have been implemented, three will be acquitted by this bill and the rest of course are on track for completion.

This is, as I mentioned earlier, another piece of legislation that goes to safety and that goes to certainty but provides for a framework that enables our terrific state of Victoria to continue to be nation leading when it comes to investment in renewables but also to support the more than 1 million people per decade that are projected to move into our great state over coming years. We know right now we have both pressures on supply and pressures on demand. We are a growing state, but what we are doing is an outstanding suite of reforms. I do, as other members have done this morning, want to acknowledge the terrific investment and work ethic, passion, drive and determination of the minister and of course her office and her department, who have led a critical suite of reforms to ensure that we are, as I mentioned earlier, nation leading in this space.

In the time that I have got remaining I just want to go to a couple of the amendments. The bill will amend the Electricity Safety Act 1998, the Gas Safety Act 1997 and the Pipelines Act 2005 and bolster the energy safety compliance framework. The bill makes amendments to allow the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister for Energy and Resources, to declare certain electricity installations to be of a class to which certain duties and other obligations apply. These obligations would include needing to pay levies to Energy Safe Victoria and ensuring that these are enhanced and that those safety measures are in place. There are of course a whole range of amendments that go to, as I mentioned earlier, providing for that framework that allows the energy supply needs of our state to be certain, to be safe and to be delivering on those innovative technological advancements that we know are fundamentally important as we move forward to what is the biggest investment in renewables anywhere in our state.

Acting Speaker Crugnale, when we move around our local community, and I am sure that you do often, we know and understand that Victorians appreciate the size and scale of the technological advancements that have been made within renewables. We know that there is passion around solar panels on roofs. We know that there is passion for electric hot water. We know that there is a real sense of responsibility within our local community to provide for a consistent, reliable but most importantly cost-effective suite of reforms that supports renewable energy generation in our state. One of the great things is to speak to members within the local community about how passionate they are – member for Footscray, I certainly know about your patch; you have spoken in the house about this before – to ensure that local communities are supported, both from a cost-of-living point of view and in doing what is the responsible and right thing for not just our generation but generations to come. So this is yet another important piece of legislation brought to the house by our government, the Andrews Labor government, who will continue to invest in those things that matter most – and we will do that each and every day.

Katie HALL (Footscray) (11:29): I am very pleased to make a contribution to this debate. I would like to start at the outset by just reflecting on the scale of the reform that the Andrews Labor government is delivering in renewable energy and of course climate action, which is an issue that people in my community are very passionate about. I think one of the most popular things in the most recent state election campaign for me to talk about was bringing back the SEC, which many people remember fondly. Being able to transform the energy market and to do it with renewables is something that people were really positive about. I know the member for Sunbury is very keen on the SEC, and it was absolutely something that people loved talking to me about during the election campaign. I have been excited to see how much progress already the Minister for the State Electricity Commission has made with that fantastic reform.

One of the other changes that was announced at the election was the community batteries. In the City of Maribyrnong there will be a community battery, and that is something that I am really looking forward to working on with the City of Maribyrnong and my community, who are very excited about our local transition to a greener, cleaner power supply.

I might focus a bit on issues that have been raised in this debate on previous days. This bill is a very important update to our nation-leading energy safety agenda. On this side of the house we are unapologetic about this safety regime for every project, every powerline and every solar panel. Those opposite simply do not care and cannot be trusted with our energy system. I have a whole range of examples where they have spoken out against renewable energy targets. They let the private energy companies run rampant. I spoke before about the SEC. What happened after the energy sector was privatised was they then failed to invest in renewable energy or support Victorians to take up solar, and Victorians paid the price with increased power bills. I know, like probably every member in this house, that the power saving bonus – which I would like to remind my community will finish for this winter in August – has been enormously popular. My office has helped thousands of people apply for the power saving bonus. Part of our reform agenda is about driving costs down, and renewables can lead to significant costs savings. When they were last in government the retail electricity prices increased by 34.1 per cent. That was under the previous Liberal government, 2010 versus 2014, a 34 per cent price increase. That really reflects why it is so important that we bring back government-owned energy in Victoria.

At every stage the opposition have opposed any bills relating to energy targets or climate action. Since 2014 the Liberals have voted against or tried to amend or drastically change the following energy bills in the Parliament: the Climate Change Bill 2016, the Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Bill 2017, the Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Amendment Bill 2019, the Energy Legislation Amendment (Licence Conditions) Bill 2020 and the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Fairness) Bill 2021. Every step of the way when the Labor government and this minister – she is amazing, she is a real reformer – have tried to change the energy system, to set renewable energy targets, the opposition have risked thousands of jobs but also shown how chaotic they are internally in terms of their climate denying. At the 2018 state election the then Leader of the Opposition Matthew Guy refused to support the government’s net zero emissions target and promised to build a new power station to be powered by what they assessed to be the cheapest alternative out of coal, gas and renewables as a way of indirectly promising a new coal-fired power station. So we know on this side of the house that –

Roma Britnell: On a point of order, Acting Speaker, this is not an opportunity to take out of context what the opposition has said. It is not a time to bash up the opposition or to mislead the house. That is actually incorrect, and that is not what happened at all. I think the member should correct that.

Danny Pearson: On the point of order, Acting Speaker, this has been a wideranging debate, and I think the member is perfectly entitled to talk about the trajectory that we have been on as a state in relation to greenhouse gas abatement. The member is entirely within her rights to point out the policies that this government has brought forward and compare and contrast them to those pursued by those opposite.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Jordan Crugnale): There is no point of order; it is a point of debate, and the member is able to bring it up in her contribution.

Katie HALL: I think it is entirely relevant in this debate that we speak about the alternative government and their position on renewable energy, and I remember very clearly a pretty disastrous – I think it was a Sky News – interview.

Members interjecting.

Katie HALL: Yes, that’s right, in Frankston. Thank you. I wish I had the transcript because it is a ripper. I would read both sides.

Dylan Wight interjected.

Katie HALL: Yes, the market would decide. That was the Liberal Party’s position. It was to have a new coal-fired power station, so I think it is entirely relevant to be speaking about our commitment to renewable energy and climate action and the complete chaos of those opposite. The reality is it is because there is a lot of climate denial that goes on over there and they are hopelessly divided. In fact, the member for Caulfield in 2017 tweeted that the Liberal Party would scrap Daniel Andrews’s ‘unrealistic renewable energy target so we don’t have to pay even more for power’. So only four years later, suddenly there has been a change of heart and the opposition would support renewables and emission targets, but as I have pointed out in this debate there has been a very long history of inaction and of trying to block the government every step of the way.

In what have really been landmark reforms, we are one of the leading jurisdictions in the world when it comes to energy transition. We have more than tripled the share of renewables in power generation in just eight years, and we have helped nearly a quarter of a million Victorian households install solar panels on the roof, reducing their bills and giving them control over their energy. We of course held the Victorian renewable energy target auction, and we have installed the Victorian Big Battery, which I know in my community is something that was really well received, because our action on tackling emissions, creating a greener and cleaner power supply that is also more affordable for Victorians is something Labor can be relied on to do but the opposition cannot be.

Alison MARCHANT (Bellarine) (11:39): It is a great pleasure to rise and speak on and debate the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023. Before going into the nitty-gritty of it all, I would just like to outline the overall objectives of this bill. The bill will address current issues associated with the energy safety legislation framework and improve community safety through more efficient and targeted regulation of new and emerging technologies and safety risks, including those posed by emerging technologies. These reforms will also bolster the safety compliance framework by increasing the obligations for electricity and gas companies, including owners and operators.

Here in Victoria there is no doubt that we are going through a massive energy transition, and it is really about building upon the strong targets that Victoria have set themselves. It is very much supported by our communities and my community in Bellarine, who are very much focused on making sure we have a clean, green environment in the Bellarine but also have a safe transition to those renewables.

This bill is obviously to modernise our legislative framework and to make sure that we improve community and worker safety issues. The bill will ensure that new technologies like batteries, wind farms and solar farms are held to the same standards as existing generation networks and technologies. We know that safety is really important when we have these changes in technology. It is paramount, especially for our workers in this field and for our communities. As we transition, we must make sure we keep pace with that regulation and enhance that enforcement.

As I have indicated, we really are leading the nation in this space. We are having that fast transition to a cleaner and greener energy system. We have more than tripled the amount of renewables in power generation in the last eight years alone. We know that renewables are backed by our communities. Millions have put solar on their roofs. They are installing heat pumps, they are installing batteries, and they know that it is not only good for the environment but it is good for their energy security. They also know it is cheaper, and it is a long-term investment to have cheaper energy for their own households.

Just outside Geelong we installed the Victorian Big Battery, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It is absolutely incredible for our region to host that big battery because not only is it reducing electricity prices but it is also just allowing us to store our energy, which is from wind and solar, and that is actually the cheapest form of energy that we can now produce. Victoria will store enough energy in that big battery to power over 1 million homes in an incident for about half an hour. We saw an incident at that Big Battery, and it highlighted the limitations that Energy Safe Victoria had. We must be able to regulate those solar farms and big battery installations, and this bill talks to that, and it shows the urgency of making these amendments. It is also very critical to safeguard our consumers by making sure we have that safe delivery as those new technologies are developed. But we need to continue, and we will build upon those ambitious targets that we have set, but they have to be in line with community expectations. We need to, as this bill will do, increase penalties so operators fulfil those safety obligations.

Now, as I have indicated, we do have that clear path. We have set ambitious targets and this state is leading. We have officially set an emissions reduction target of a 75 to 80 per cent reduction by 2035 and net zero by 2045. We smashed our other targets. Our 2020 emissions targets were absolutely smashed, and I am confident that we will do the same here. We do not waste any time. The minister is ambitious in her own objectives in what she needs to achieve for the state, and I am confident that we will meet and smash those targets because we do not waste time. We are getting on with it. We also have ambitious renewable targets of 95 per cent renewable by 2035, and what comes along with the transition is jobs. Thousands and thousands of jobs will now be part of this transition. We have ambitious targets for offshore wind. We know that this will also create further jobs, and just in the time since we have been elected over 5000 jobs have come in that large-scale renewable energy system.

Of course many members on this side of the house have talked about the excitement of bringing back the SEC, putting energy back in the hands of Victorians but also making sure that customers and Victorians come first, not companies who are there to make large profits for themselves. We need to have fit-for-purpose rules and energy regulations to do this, and this was initiated a few years ago when there was an independent review of Victoria’s energy and gas framework, which was known as the Grimes review. I thought that I would have a quick look at that review, and at the time of the final report and the government’s response Paul Fearon, who was the director of energy and safety at the time, said that this provided a further springboard for Energy Safe Victoria:

to build its capacity and capability to hold energy network businesses accountable for designing, operating and maintaining their infrastructure safely.

The in-principle support for changes to legislation by the Government will also ensure Victoria’s regulatory frameworks are fit for purpose to meet emerging energy safety challenges into the future.

We have got on with that since that report. Of the 42 recommendations, we have implemented over half; three will be done through this bill, and we are on track to complete the rest. This really is going to allow Energy Safe Victoria to have that greater oversight and control of any changes to the safety management plans and the ability to conduct those full revisions of these plans every five years. This is really important, and community expectation is there. As the changes are rapidly occurring, we need to make sure that the right regulations are in place for Energy Safe Victoria to oversee the compliance of these new systems and technology. This bill is also going to provide Energy Safe Victoria with that enhanced enforcement toolkit to make sure that they can effectively regulate.

There is no doubt that Victoria is in a real energy transition here, which we are leading. I think this is probably one of the most fundamental technology transformations that we have seen across this state and that maybe I will see in my lifetime. Leading with renewables, emissions reductions and a commitment to bringing back the SEC, this is nothing short of an incredible reform driven by the Andrews Labor government and a minister with attention to our needs not only now but into the future, setting up our future generations. This legislation is nothing but common sense for Victoria’s energy safety legislation, having the safety obligations of the renewable energy companies aligned with the traditional energy companies we have seen in this state. It is going to strengthen our investigation and enforcement powers, but importantly this is here to protect and safeguard our communities, our workforce and our energy future. I thank the minister for all the work that has gone into this bill. It is incredibly supportive, as I have talked about for my community, of making sure we see that cleaner, greener transition to renewables for our energy safety and our energy future.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Acting Speaker, I would ask you to refer a matter to the Speaker. Following a motion earlier, a number of incidents occurred behind the chamber. A number of government members, from both this place and the other place, harassed a member of this place. It was deeply distressing to members, both involved and witnessing. It was in the corridor just behind the chamber. There was shouting, there was clear harassment of the member, and it was, as I said, deeply distressing. We all want to work in a safe workplace.

I would say that the behaviour we saw not only did not fit a safe workplace, it was distressing. It was distressing to those involved and those in the corridor at the time. The public are often in that corridor. It was deeply distressing. So I would ask that you refer the matter to the Speaker for investigation. We must have a safe workplace. The behaviour that occurred only minutes ago just outside the chamber does require immediate – immediate – investigation, and it does need to be reported back to the house.

Danny Pearson: On the point of order, Acting Speaker, I take on face value what the member has said. I was not in that vicinity, so I can only take on face value what the member has said. What I would say is that there are probably established procedures for these matters being dealt with, and I think that referring the matter on to the Speaker is appropriate. As to why there was a requirement, though, to disrupt the proceedings of the house in order to make this point, I am unclear as to why the member has chosen to do this in this way. But if something has happened, then it is appropriate that that matter be referred on to the Speaker.

James Newbury: Further on the point of order, Acting Speaker, safe workplaces require immediate action, and –

The ACTING SPEAKER (Jordan Crugnale): You can only speak one time on that matter. I will refer the matter to the Speaker. The member for Barwon South.

Darren CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (11:51): South Barwon, I think.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Jordan Crugnale): South Barwon.

Darren CHEESEMAN: I would never want to correct anyone sitting in that seat. It is of course with some pleasure that I rise late this morning to make my contribution on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023. I must say I do so being a fierce advocate, as I know so many of my colleagues are, for taking the necessary steps to decarbonise the Victorian economy. I must say the Andrews Labor government has a very, very strong and reforming agenda when it comes to building a fit-for-purpose new energy environment that decarbonises our economy. As people would very much be aware, for those who have participated in this debate for a very, very long time, the realities are that historically the Victorian energy system has been built where our generators are almost exclusively in the eastern side of the state and our networks then distribute that energy from the east effectively across Victoria to consumers. That has been the reality for a very, very long time.

For most of Victoria’s history of energy generation and transmission, energy has been largely generated, delivered and distributed by the Victorian public sector and by entities such as the State Electricity Commission. However, in the 1990s we had the Kennett government, and the Kennett government took an axe to the Victorian public sector generating that electricity and indeed sold off most of our energy networks and most of the generators to foreign entities that were largely listed on the stock exchanges of other jurisdictions outside of Australia.

Of course after our election in 2014 the Andrews Labor government sought to shift the generation capacity away from the brown coal fired power stations and take the Victorian economy on a massive transformational journey to generate energy largely by renewable energy. Over that time we have set increasingly ambitious targets and we have gone about achieving those targets to generate that energy in clean forms principally through renewable energy.

What that means in a really practical context is that we have a significant number of wind farms today that did not exist in 2014. We have many hundreds of thousands of solar panels on people’s roofs, putting power back into the hands of those households and reducing their daily cost-of-living pressures through the provision of those solar panels. We have batteries partnering with solar panels at the household level, again providing the capacity for households to generate electricity through the day and to store it in batteries and to utilise that energy at night, and we have heat pumps heating people’s hot water and the like.

The next reformist chapter in the very ambitious Andrews Labor government’s energy journey that we are taking our state on is offshore wind. Quite a bit has been said in the last six months, and certainly there is a lot more work to do as we become Australia’s first generation to indeed invest, to partner and to build offshore wind energy. I think what we will see in the years to come are ambitious projects like Star of the Sea off the Bass Coast built and generating electricity for the Victorian economy and projects in our other offshore renewable energy zones, particularly along the Warrnambool–Portland areas of our coast, further contributing to the energy needs of this state.

Given all of that work that we are doing, it is critically important that we make sure, as is the Labor way, that we have a really strong set of occupational health and safety arrangements in place. Those occupational health and safety arrangements that need to be in place are really important for those workers who are working with renewable energy. It is really important that we have a strong set of regulations in place to protect them and to protect those communities and households – to make sure that in delivering this massive transformation we are protecting the lives of workers, making sure that we are protecting the lives of communities and indeed households.

I do want to just take a moment also to acknowledge and thank the Electrical Trades Union for the work that they do in this space. They have been a champion in so many ways of the occupational health and safety of their members. They have been champions of the need to protect Victorians from electricity risks, and they of course are committed to the renewable energy journey that we need to go on. They understand the science; they understand why we need to go on this particular journey. Our reform agenda is not only about building these new energy networks, the new generation capacity, it is also about making sure that the regulation that is in place is fit for purpose to protect those that come into contact with those systems – to make sure that people can do it safely.

I do note that the Liberal Party very much take every opportunity to deny the realities of climate change. I do note that from time to time we see very much a Trumpesque agenda coming from the Liberal Party, and indeed I do note that there are members of the Liberal Party, particularly Bev McArthur from the other chamber, who want to see nuclear energy. She wants to see nuclear energy as a part of Victoria’s energy mix, and I know that because I have heard her say it. She wants to see that nuclear energy generated from Portland. I have not heard the member for South-West Coast come out and defend that community from Bev McArthur’s agenda. She ought do that, because of course Victorians do not want to see nuclear energy as a part of Victoria’s energy mix. That is what they want. In the moments I have left I just want to say a big thankyou to the Electrical Trades Union and a big thankyou to the minister for her reformist zeal. This is important legislation, and I very much commend it to this place.

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Government Services, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Consumer Affairs) (12:01): What a glorious day it is, and it is wonderful to see you in the chair on this fine winter’s day, Acting Speaker Crugnale. I am delighted to make a brief contribution on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023, because I think this provides the right regulatory framework in which we can ensure that we can encourage more investment in our state in relation to dealing with some of our baseload challenges.

You might recall that one of the reasons why we have got a statewide grid, an interconnecting grid, is because of market failure. There was a determination made in the early 20th century that we needed to make sure that there was a consistent level of security of supply right across the state, which is why a number of those private energy companies or those energy companies which were owned by local government as retailers were brought into that mix of having overarching public ownership. Indeed it was Sir John Monash who was tasked with the role of being the first commissioner of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria to ensure that we had that consistent approach.

Where we currently find ourselves is in a really exciting time. There is an opportunity for us to lead the nation, and indeed lead the world, when it comes to the great, wonderful asset that we have in the Bass Strait, being wind. I think that where we find ourselves is that there is an opportunity through the establishment of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria to provide that capital, to start to attract private investment to build on that, so that we can have that first-mover advantage and have large-scale wind, offshore wind, being developed here.

The great thing about offshore wind is that the frequency with which it occurs, the force with which wind is funnelled through the Bass Strait, does present the opportunity to have that real baseload capacity to supplement and to replace brown coal-fired power stations at Yallourn, Loy Yang A and Loy Yang B. It also will ensure that it is cleaner technology. If you think about the stack of energy supplies, by having that baseload wind energy, coupled with solar, coupled with batteries, coupled with a stronger grid to be able to take the variabilities and the fluctuations in relation to power generation and supply, we will be in a really strong position to start to meet these challenges head-on. We absolutely need to take these necessary steps to try and reduce our carbon footprint but make sure that we have got consistent security of supply.

I note that this is hard work. This requires extensive thought and consideration. It is a requirement to come up with a package of reforms, a series of legislative reforms, to ensure that we have got the right policy settings in place so that we can encourage that level of investment in a safe way and we can make sure that electricity is transmitted across the state in a safe, efficient and effective way. These are really important initiatives and something that we need to do. This is hard work that you have got to come up with, and you have got to bring it towards this place.

Where are the Greens political party? I am not sure if these people have spoken on this bill or not – lazy dilettantes that they are, who have got no interest in the serious work, right? They think they can tackle climate change through 140 characters in a tweet. They think that they can reduce our carbon emissions by just doing selfies, right? Did any of you comment on the ridiculous selfie the member for Melbourne posted when the decision about native logging was announced and how she was crying with glee looking at the camera and not thinking about the fact that the impact that had on those communities at that time, not thinking about the amount of policy work that you have got to go into to come to that position and not thinking about how you support those communities through what is a difficult time? This is serious work, and on this side of the house we are in the serious business of governing and being a reformist government and doing the hard work and the necessary work that is required to create a fairer, safer and greener Victoria. They are nowhere to be seen, and you can guarantee they are not going to be here after question time today. They will schlep outside, have their soy lattes, chew on some tofu and think about how wonderful the world could be if only they were in charge.

A member: They will be on an RDO tomorrow.

Danny PEARSON: We know they will not be working on Fridays because they do not work on Fridays. This is serious work that has been brought before the house, and again it is about making sure that we have got the right settings in place. It is about making sure that we deal with some of the challenges in terms of security of supply. We also need to make sure that where you have got powerlines in heavily forested areas there are splitters between the lines to prevent the lines coming together in the height of summer, which can spark and cause fires, which is what we saw during the course of Ash Wednesday. So I commend the minister for the bill that she has brought to this house. It is a good, solid Labor bill, and I commend the bill to the house.

Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (12:07): I rise to speak in support of the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023, and in doing so I would like to begin by acknowledging the work of the Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources and Minister for the State Electricity Commission for her and her teams’ amazing efforts in bringing this bill to the chamber. This is a bill that forms an important part of supporting the Victorian Labor government’s overall and ambitious strategy to protect our environment by combating climate change, decarbonising our economy and transitioning Victoria towards a clean and renewable energy power grid.

However, fundamental to achieving these aspirations will be safety: safety for the workers who will be undertaking the work to construct, assemble and maintain our future renewable energy infrastructure; safety for the communities where such new large- or smaller scale clean energy infrastructure will be situated or transmitted through; and safety for the energy consumers, whether it be businesses, households or community groups. The fact is that the provision of an essential service like energy cannot occur without appropriate regard to safety frameworks. Safety is central to the proper delivery of energy and is crucial to safeguarding consumer protection and community confidence. It is safety, particularly safety for working people, that is at the heart and mission of the labour movement.

Over the past two decades, driven by a range of policies at state and federal levels the electricity sector has been replacing carbon-intensive generation with zero-carbon technologies. At the same time the energy sector has been moving away from a small number of large-scale facilities owned and operated by a handful of companies towards smaller scale and more widely distributed electricity production. Essentially, the Electricity Safety Act 1998 was designed when only a small number of large coal- and gas-generating plants supplied electricity to the entire state. With Victoria’s transition to renewable energy, there are now dozens of wind and solar farms generating electricity and a growing number of utility-scale battery installations. These new installations bring with them rapidly changing technological diversity, and the amendments contained in this bill will ensure safety at these facilities is treated the same way as at distribution and transmission companies. This exponential growth in new energy technologies, particularly in renewable energy and storage, has exposed critical gaps and other weaknesses in the energy safety legislative framework.

These weaknesses are real, with two serious incidents in 2021 having underscored the inability of Energy Safe Victoria, ESV, to regulate these facilities before incidents occurred. Two serious fires in 2021 at the Victorian Big Battery and the Cohuna solar farm highlighted the limitations ESV has to regulate such facilities. Other incidents have also included fires at renewable energy installations as well as non-compliant electricity and gas asset management practices. These incidents were respectively and thoroughly reviewed and highlighted the need for updated legislation that keeps pace with the rapid transformation of the energy sector and new technologies to ensure similar incidents cannot occur again.

This bill therefore seeks to amend the Electricity Safety Act 1998, the Gas Safety Act 1997 and the Pipelines Act 2005 to strengthen the energy safety compliance framework. The amendments to the Electricity Safety Act 1998 will allow the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister for Energy and Resources, to declare a certain electricity installation to be of a class to which certain duties and obligations apply. These obligations would include needing to pay levies to ESV and to ensure there are enhanced safety measures in place. These obligations would be comparable to those currently imposed already on major distribution and transmission companies. The amendments to the Electricity Safety Act as well as the Gas Safety Act and Pipelines Act seek to increase civil penalties up to sixfold from their previous amounts and will provide ESV with greater control over any changes to safety management plans as well as the ability to conduct full revisions of these plans after five years. The bill will also greatly strengthen ESV’s investigation powers, including through the preservation of serious electrical or gas incident sites, and align the period ESV can retain seized items. These are all commonsense amendments to Victoria’s energy legislation that will protect lives and communities.

The measures contained in this bill create more effective and targeted regulation that will mitigate the risks associated with the increasing rollout of new energy generation technology, and this is critical because Victoria is leading one of the fastest transitions in the world. We have more than tripled our share of renewables in power generation in just eight years. We have helped nearly a quarter of a million Victorian households install solar panels on their roofs, reducing their bills and giving them control over their energy. In my community of Merri-bek, for example, we have supported 3015 solar installations on local roofs, and we have received a further over 3150 applications for even more to be delivered in due course. We have also installed the Victorian Big Battery, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, and made Victoria the home of big batteries, and in that regard I should acknowledge Labor’s commitment at a state level to deliver a new community battery in the City of Merri-bek and the federal Albanese Labor government’s commitment to deliver two new community batteries in Brunswick and Coburg over the course of this federal Labor government’s term.

Through these actions we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than any other state in Australia since 2014, and we are continuing to do more. We have set a 65 per cent target of renewable energy by 2030 and a 95 per cent renewable energy target by 2035, and we have brought forward our zero-emissions target from 2050 to 2045. Achieving these targets will be a must if we are to play our part as a state to combat the worst impacts of climate change and will require us to fundamentally transform our state’s electricity generation and distribution network, which traditionally has been the major source of carbon emissions in this state, and it is this transformation of our energy network through the construction, installation and operation of more solar, wind and renewable technologies that will create a new wave of jobs – jobs for workers, for whom we must do what we can to keep safe.

But along with the legislative and regulatory frameworks and reforms that are included in this bill we also need to support the training and skills of workers in the emerging and growing clean energy industries. The Victorian Labor government’s commitment to bringing back the SEC will create 59,000 jobs by 2035, and it will be a catalyst in driving our state’s future clean energy jobs boom. To train these new workers the Labor government has committed to establishing an SEC centre of training excellence to coordinate and accredit courses in clean energy, connecting with our TAFEs, registered training organisations, unions and the industry, as well as adding clean energy to our new VCE vocational major. The government has allocated $5 million in funding to develop a business case with respect to the SEC centre of training excellence, with the centre to eventually coordinate and work with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority to accredit courses in renewable energy.

Across government schools the SEC will be at career nights recruiting the workers of the future, and an investment of $116 million will open six new cutting-edge tech schools, giving students a head start in a hands-on profession. To make sure the workers we are training are guaranteed a long-term pipeline of work, we will also institute local content requirements on state-owned and supported renewable energy projects, worth at least $5 billion by 2035. In this respect I am very pleased to note that on 31 May 2023 the minister for the SEC hosted the State Electricity Commission jobs and skills forum, which brought together more than 200 experts and stakeholders to help shape Victoria’s renewable workforce planning via the Labor government’s first-of-its-kind Victorian energy jobs plan. This plan will ensure Victoria’s future workforce meets the needs of our energy transition and investments. The plan will prioritise practical actions to address gaps and workforce shortfalls and position Victoria as a renewable energy workforce leader. Of course I very much welcome the opportunity for the people of Pascoe Vale, Coburg and Brunswick West to be engaged as part of the development of the Victorian energy jobs plan as well as the proposed SEC centre of training excellence.

As a community that is situated in the heart of Melbourne’s north, with a very strong environmental conscience as well as a very strong skills base, we are very well placed to help provide the workers, skills and expertise that can help make bringing back the SEC a reality. The members for Northcote, Preston, Broadmeadows, Greenvale and I all support moving towards greater engagement with the SEC for our region. Currently across the Merri-bek community we have people with skills across a number of complementary industries, including 10,900 people employed in professional scientific and technical services, who make up 11 per cent of our local workforce; 6500 people employed in construction – 7 per cent of our workforce; 4500 people employed in manufacturing – that is almost 5 per cent of our workforce; and 890 people employed in the electricity, gas, water and waste sectors. Of these, 9700, or 10.5 per cent, are employed as technicians or as tradespeople across Merri-bek. While many of these workers are currently working to help us deliver the various government initiatives, including the rollout of the Solar Homes program as well as the Big Build program, it is the opportunities associated with the future SEC workforce that I am particularly excited about for the workers of my community today and tomorrow.

In this regard state Labor’s investments into upgrading local secondary schools can certainly be leveraged to encourage more young people to pursue a future path with the SEC and the growing clean energy and renewable energy sector via the $17.8 million invested to construct a new double-storey technology building at Coburg High – we just appointed the architects a couple of weeks ago for that project; the over $21 million invested to deliver a new three-storey specialist science, chemistry and technology building at Strathmore Secondary, which the member for Essendon and I visited a few months ago; and the over $14 million to build the new technology centre at Pascoe Vale Girls College, which is currently under construction.

The Minister for Education, the member for Broadmeadows and I have recently released the Merri-bek North Education Plan community engagement report, which outlines the views of local parents, students, teachers and carers on how we can work to continue improving local secondary education to support new skills and career pathways. The key pieces of feedback received from locals included that people want to see a more diverse and high-quality range of subject offerings and learning opportunities at our local schools and more hands-on and real-life learning opportunities. I genuinely believe that we can achieve that by aligning local secondary schools further with the future pathway of jobs and skills through the SEC and a jobs plan for our community.

Dylan WIGHT (Tarneit) (12:17): It gives me great pleasure to rise this afternoon to speak on the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023. We all know that renewable energy and the transition to renewable energy is so incredibly important for the state of Victoria. It is also fundamentally and overwhelmingly supported by the vast majority of Victorians, as shown by the result of the 2022 state election.

Under the previous federal government we saw an absolute lack of any cogent, comprehensive energy policy and a lack of leadership over a 10-year period in this space. What that meant is that state governments around Australia had to pick up the slack. State governments around Australia had to show leadership on emission reductions and also renewable energy. No state did that over that period of time more than Victoria and, particularly since 2014, none more than the Andrews Labor government. When it comes to the renewables transition, the Andrews Labor government has been leading the way, more than tripling its share of renewables in power generation over the last eight years. This technical transformation is nothing short of fundamentally important. It will mean more jobs, cheaper energy and of course cleaner air. Underpinning those three points is this government’s decision to bring back the SEC. For my electorate – the communities of Tarneit and Hoppers Crossing – that is so incredibly important and so incredibly popular for two different reasons. Before those opposite and their friends privatised Victoria’s energy system back in 1994 – before they privatised the SEC – there was an SEC depot in Werribee, very close to my communities of Tarneit and Hoppers Crossing. There are still so many constituents – and I remember them coming through pre-poll and coming through election booths on election day – talking to me about their memories of the SEC. They either worked there themselves or their parents worked there or a family member worked there, and they were so incredibly excited by the notion of state-owned energy coming back to Victoria.

Of course the other incredibly important part of this announcement is the 59,000 jobs that will come with it. In my maiden speech I spoke about the fact that the SEC is all about jobs – good, well-paid jobs of the future, 59,000 of them – which is so incredibly important to my communities of Tarneit and Hoppers Crossing. What it will also do is turbocharge our transition to a renewable energy future, and it has significantly increased our renewable energy targets as a result of that fantastic announcement just last year.

While we undertake this fantastic and incredibly important change, we must also ensure that the safety of workers and communities is maintained but is also paramount in our mind. Whether they be communities and residents that are living or working near some of these projects or whether they be the workers themselves – linespeople, electrical fitters et cetera – we must make sure that their safety is paramount in our minds all the time. Of course that is the purpose of today’s bill. Very quickly, these amendments will create a more effective regulation of safety risks posed by emerging renewable technologies. The reforms will strengthen the safety compliance framework by increasing obligations for electricity and gas companies. It also gives Energy Safe Victoria legislative power to compel owners and operators of complex installations to reduce safety risks prior to energisation.

I spoke earlier about the Andrews Labor government’s leadership on renewable energy and emissions reductions, essentially because of a complete lack of leadership by the former federal coalition government.

A member interjected.

Dylan WIGHT: Absolutely, shame. So we are leading the way as one of the fastest energy transitions not just in Australia but in the world, and the SEC, as I said, will turbocharge that. Not only have we tripled our share of renewables involved in our power generation but we have also held the Victorian renewable energy target auction, the country’s largest reverse auction for renewable energy projects. We have installed the Victorian Big Battery, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. What I would also like to speak about is the role that my electorate of Tarneit has played in that and will continue to play in that. We consider ourselves as a community so incredibly lucky to have one of the very first neighbourhood batteries installed in Tarneit, not too far from where I reside, in fact. I was absolutely ecstatic to go to the opening of our new neighbourhood battery with the Minister for the State Electricity Commission, which was absolutely amazing. Powercor were there; they played a large role in the construction of the battery.

What we have also done in my electorate of Tarneit is help approximately 7500 households take advantage of our government’s solar home rebates to make the switch to solar. The suburb of Tarneit – and I saw the stats earlier in the year – I think has the largest uptake of that solar panel rebate program and is contributing so fantastically to reducing not just our emissions in Victoria but also the cost of living for those households in Tarneit. This amendment, this bill, is so incredibly important for Victoria’s future, and I commend it to the house.

Bronwyn HALFPENNY (Thomastown) (12:25): I will only speak for a few moments because I think the debate on this bill has been very comprehensive and most of the issues have been canvassed. But it really is such an important piece of legislation that I want to put on the record my very strong support for the Energy Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2023.

Safety, particularly in areas like power and electricity generation, is of paramount importance to both the public and to workers who are working in this industry. The regulation as it is now is all about the old ways, which is power generation through the big coal-fired power generation stations. We are now going into a much more decentralised system where we have got new clean energy and businesses that are really dotted around the countryside. There are big solar panel farms, as they are known, and wind farms and of course they require legislation to make sure that they also act in a safe way and are accountable to the regulator, Energy Safe Victoria. This legislation ensures that both the big power generators and the more decentralised clean energy generators are held to the same account. This has been unfortunately highlighted because of the actions of some of the energy companies in the clean energy area where there have been deficiencies and they have not been able to be held to account even though there have been situations such as fires occurring.

In the City of Whittlesea, which the electorate of Thomastown is in, a good example of the way we are moving on is the budget commitment in the last budget from the Andrews Labor government to have a community battery. While the site has not yet been determined, this is a great initiative that I know locals will welcome, just as they have welcomed the power saving bonus. More than 20,000 households have applied for that power saving bonus in the last round, and I take this opportunity to remind residents that the cut-off for applications is August. We are in August now, so they really need to get a hurry on if they want to take advantage of this and help to combat the rises in the cost of living that we have at the moment.

Switching to clean energy – having solar panels, for example – and using the state government’s initiatives to provide subsidies to put solar panels on your roof is one way of reducing costs. I give an example of my mother, who was using a gas heater. That broke down so she has moved to electricity. She already had solar panels and she has saved, just in two months, some $350 from the switch from gas heating to electric heating with the solar panels on her roof. There really is a great saving and this will assist people to put more money into all of our pockets if we go to solar, so that we can spend that money on things such as mortgage repayments with the high interest rates.

A big shout-out to the Electrical Trades Union, because of course Energy Safe Victoria is a body that also regulates and licenses electricians. This was a big issue in the electrical industry and the Electrical Trades Union, representing workers, pushed very hard for this licensing scheme, which I think has worked well for everybody in the public being safer and more comfortable in knowing that there are good training programs and professionalism in the industry and that workers that are working on their homes or businesses have the highest skills and are making sure that everything is safe.

In conclusion, I just want to indicate my great support for this legislation and the effect it will have on the industry as well as protecting the community.

Ros SPENCE (Kalkallo – Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Minister for Community Sport, Minister for Suburban Development) (12:29): I move:

That the debate be now adjourned.

Motion agreed to and debate adjourned.

Ordered that debate be adjourned until later this day.