MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Mr GOSLING (Solomon) (15:39): I want to acknowledge my good friend the member for Jagajaga and her contribution outlining our solid commitment to Australian workers and, in the case of the topic that's being discussed now at Whyalla, to blue-collar workers. We are absolutely committed, as any reasonable person would know with our track record, to the domestic steel manufacturing industry and to securing the long-term future of those steelworks and the local jobs there.

The coalition has no credible plan on supporting Australian manufacturing or Australian workers. I've been around long enough to remember Joe Hockey and the coalition forcing the car manufacturing industry out of this country. Whyalla was well addressed by my colleague, so I'll head north.

I've spoken before about Territory Gold, which is the best solar radiation in the world that cuts right through the Northern Territory but also some of our neighbouring states. The Northern Territory is at the forefront of Australia's energy transition as we become a renewable energy superpower. It's through projects like SunCable and Energy North that we'll tap the incredible potential of solar energy to power local industry, and we'll also, one day down the track, help our neighbours in ASEAN with their energy needs, with renewable energy.

Data centres are very topical. I think they're a good example, when done right. I commend our Prime Minister on the outlines for the guardrails that we're putting in around data centres and AI.

But the reality is, when the communities are going to benefit and when power prices are not going to go up, some big IT players are very interested in harnessing Territory Gold, through solar, to run data centres. But these investments, as I said, must benefit the community and deliver for our national interests. Those Australian standards for AI data centres have made it clear that if you want to build here, you have to make our economy and society stronger—and that will happen with abundant renewables.

Proponents are going to need to add to our energy supply, not drain it. They're going to have to strengthen the grid, not weaken it, and they're going to have to use water responsibly and offset impact. Hiring and training Australians will be essential, and our research and development, our sciences, are going to have to benefit.

These expectations are important because they put the needs of Australian people first and are possible when you embrace renewables and Australia's clean energy transition. Our federal government is going to work with the states and territories and market participants to implement the expectations, particularly through the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council.

We all know that data centres will have enormous potential to expand new renewable investment, and it's vital that we work together across jurisdictions and with industry to get those investment settings right so that we can continue to keep our system secure and energy prices low for all consumers. Minister Bowen has stated the Commonwealth will not be standing by and letting it become a race to the bottom of states and territories falling over themselves to attract these data centres at a cost to household bills.

At the National Cabinet meeting earlier this month, it was agreed that state and territory owned power can be used if the Commonwealth, via the Australian Energy Regulator, is satisfied it won't push up bills or weaken reliability. If a jurisdiction believes it has state owned energy that is cheaper than renewable energy, it'll be able to make that case to the Commonwealth for consideration by the Australian Energy Regulator on a case-by-case basis.

The regulator will have to be convinced, however, that it would put downward pressure on bills and be cheaper than renewables. That's a very high bar that will be set to ensure that household bills don't go up and it doesn't make it harder for other industries to do business. However, the Northern Territory Chief Minister, when asked last week about potential savings on power bills from Beetaloo gas, said: I would love to say yes, unfortunately, that's not going to be the case.

Well, there you go. From one jurisdiction— (Time expired)