The Liberal Government is continuing to advocate for Tasmania’s interests in regards to the Renewable Energy Target Scheme (RET).
The Commonwealth Government’s recently announced position on the RET is a good starting point for Tasmanian jobs because it takes abolishing the RET off the table and exempts major industrials. However, we want to see some further movement on their proposed target level, and agreement from Federal Labor that Tasmania’s major industrials will be protected.
With Federal Labor now negotiating with the Commonwealth Government on the RET, Bryan Green can wait no longer to finally stand up for Tasmania’s interests.
He said they would reveal their stance on a full exemption for Tasmania’s major industrials when the Federal Government released their position. Yet a week after this has happened there is still no word from Labor whether they stand with their Green allies or with the 10,000 Tasmanian jobs supported by the major industrials.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government has advocated strongly for the RET scheme to be continued and for a full exemption for our major industrials, which provide thousands of jobs and operate predominantly on clean energy generated by Hydro Tasmania.
With the Commonwealth Government taking abolishing the RET off the table and supporting an exemption for trade-exposed major industrials, we know that our lobbying has had an effect in Canberra.
The Commonwealth Government and Federal Labor must now reach a bipartisan position on the RET as soon as possible to provide certainty for investment.
While Hydro Tasmania clearly stated that the King Island wind farm proposal was not viable even if the Renewable Energy Target was maintained at the existing level, certainty over the RET must be provided for the renewable energy industry.
Matthew Groom, Minister for Energy
