Thursday, 20 November 2025

 Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (14:34): I rise to update the house on how the Allan Labor government’s planning reforms are accelerating renewable energy investment, creating jobs and slashing power prices. Victoria’s Big Build is building the infrastructure that Victoria needs, from roads and rails to schools, hospitals and energy, and we are doing it faster than ever thanks to the development facilitation program. We are putting renewables on the fast track, building more projects, creating more jobs and relieving cost-of-living pressures for Victorian families. Since April last year, just in these months alone, the program has unlocked more than $8 billion worth of investment across 22 energy projects. These projects are why Victoria consistently has the lowest power prices in the country.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Bulleen can leave the chamber for half an hour. Do not reflect on the Chair, member for Bulleen.

Member for Bulleen withdrew from chamber.

Lily D’AMBROSIO: They are not interested at all in the cost of living. He is auditioning over there. These projects are why Victoria consistently has the lowest power prices in the country, putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking Victorian families and creating 3000 jobs as we do it. We cannot take these achievements for granted. We know that some do not share the ambition that we have to build more renewables – the cheapest new-build electricity that there is worldwide. That is what will help keep downward pressure on electricity bills. That is what will do it, because these are the facts: if you do not support net zero and you do not support the new energy infrastructure or you block it or you delay it or you go slow, you lose the jobs, you lose the new supply and you get higher energy bills, like we saw when they were last in government. Fourteen wind projects were abandoned, $4 billion of investment evaporated overnight and we saw Victorians suffer a massive electricity price spike of 34.1 per cent and disconnections doubled. That is what we had, but not under this government.